Ming De University
by Samantha Stevenson
Summary: Brielle always wanted to visit China. But what happens when she finds love with the most sought after bachelor in her college, Daoming Si? Through rough patches, misunderstandings, and uncertain feelings, will their love last?
1. Chapter 1

**Note** : Some conversations are in Chinese, but will be written in English for better understanding. If conversation is in Chinese, the sentence will appear as shown here: "*Good Morning." English conversations will be marked the standard way: "Good Morning." Enjoy!

Brielle was far from fluent in Mandarin, but she never gave up learning. In fact, she was obsessed with studying and learning about the culture and language since her freshman year in high school. So when she found out she was accepted in a prestigious university in Shanghai, she couldn't wait to pack her bags and go. And now, she stood in the living room of her new studio apartment. Brielle quickly glanced in the mirror by the front door, fixing her hair and straightening her shirt before entering the new world.

Ming De University was a large beautiful school that felt like a dream. Brielle stood before the bridge at the front of the school and smiled, biting her lip to contain her excitement. She looked down at the phone to see her school schedule, Mandarin 3 was her first class of the day. She shoved her phone in her back pocket, and climbed the stairs of the bridge.

As she entered the classroom, she was greeted by a beautiful girl with long black hair. Her dark eyes smiled at Brielle as she bowed slightly. "Good Morning." Her English was perfect. "Welcome! I'm Sun Shiuri. You must be Brielle." Her smile lit up her whole face as she clapped her hands in excitement. "I too am studying Language, so administration assigned me as your 'buddy' for this year." She stretched out her arms and hugged Brielle. "I'm so excited to meet you."

Brielle felt her heart jump as her anxiety suddenly spiked. She had never been good at making new friends and wasn't sure how to adjust to this new environment. "Hello." She said cautiously, hugging her back. "Nice to meet you! I'm not going to lie, I'm so nervous." As they separated, she took a deep breath, trying to stop her body from shaking.

"Don't be nervous. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." She gripped Brielle's shoulders and smiled. "Come, let's take our seats. I'm so excited!" Shiuri linked her arm with Brielle's and led her to their seats.

Class went by quickly, and before she knew it, it was lunch time. Brielle followed Shiuri through the halls before they stopped by their lockers.

"So why did you come to Shanghai?" Shiuri asked, opening her locker and swapping out books.

"I had a friend when I was in ten who was from here. Ever since, I've wanted to come myself." Brielle grabbed the hair-tie off her wrist and tied back her dark blonde curls. "So when I entered high school I started taking Mandarin and never stopped."

Shiuri smiled up at Brielle, but her eyes quickly darted from her new friend to something behind her. Brielle followed her gaze, and spun to see what was behind her. Four tall, stunning men with blank stern faces stood against the windows at the other end of the hall, ignoring the many girls who gathered around them.

Brielle turned back around and looked back at Shiuri. "Who are they?" She asked too nervous to look back over at the four.

"*F4." She said, her eyes still locked on them. "They are the golden boys of the school." She nodded over to them, motioning for Brielle to look back at the group. "Daoming Si, their leader is the son of a mega corporation." She said, her eyes falling on the boy with twisted spiked hair. "Rumor has it, he made a million dollar trading stocks by his 18th birthday, and is set to take over his family company once the graduates this year." She motioned her eyes to the shaggy haired boy leaning against the railing, in a large sweater and reading a book. "Hua Ze Lei is pretty closed off for the most part and doesn't talk much. He's a music major, and can pick up any instrument and play it perfectly." The two other boys wore slight grins, showing they didn't mind the female attention they received. "Mei Zuo and Ximen are known as being the ladies men of the group. They go on dates with at least 3 different girls a week, and are known as being complete gentleman. Last year a female student tried claiming Ximen got her pregnant, and he was kind enough to help her financially even after he proved he wasn't the father."

Brielle looked back at Shiuri, her mouth slightly dropping open. "*He really helped her after all that?"

Shiuri nodded. "*After that, more girls started lining up for them. Kind of pathetic, since none of them have been in a relationship and never seem to be interested."

"I can see why everyone likes them." She pushed off the locker ready to head to the cafeteria, but collided with someone behind her, stumbling over them and falling to the floor. Brielle sat up, clutching her wrist close to her as the muscle pounded in pain.

Before she could look up and apologize, her shirt was gripped and she was pulled to her feet. "*Watch where you're going!" Her eyes fell on the twisted haired boy whose face was pinched in anger.

"*I'm so sorry!" Brielle replied, noticing his grip on her was still tight. If she were a guy, it was obvious he would have hit her already. Her hands scrambled to pry his fingers off her, but he didn't budge. His eyes looked down at her as he shoved her back to the ground and stepped over her, continuing down the hall. Brielle scrambled to the window trying to get out of the way of the three others as they followed behind, none of them looking down at her as they passed. "I take back my statement about them from earlier." She said, holding back her tears. She watched as the boys turned down another hall and disappeared.

Shiuri knelt down beside her new friend. "I forgot to mention Daoming Si can have a mean side to him."

"*Can be? He's pure evil." Brielle stood to her feet and looked around at the many girls in the hallway who watched her, giggling and laughing at her expense. Brielle wiped at her pants, brushing away any dirt. "I have to get going to my next class. *See you after."

Brielle quickly walked away, trying to contain herself as her anxiety spiked. "How embarrassing." She rubbed her wrist as the pain throbbed, trying to force the embarrassment away.

* * *

3 days later.

Brielle looked up from her paper as her phone buzzed beside her. "*Excuse me." She whispered the others at the table with her, their judging eyes watching her as she stood from the table. Grabbing her phone, she headed to an empty part of the library and answered and answered the call. "Hey mom. What's up?" It had been only a few hours since she had last talked with her mom, but this was expected with an overprotective mother like hers.

"I just wanted to call and say good night Hun." Her mom sounded exhausted.

Brielle looked down at her phone at the time. "Mom, it's almost midnight there. Why are you staying up so late?" Brielle asked, as her daughter instincts kicked in. Her mom always went to bed early, so to be getting a call this late worried her.

He mom sighed. "Oh Hun, it's just that-"

Suddenly, her phone was snatched from her ear. Brielle turned around noticing the tall man behind her. He pressed the end button on the phone then looked down at her. "*Don't you know how rude it is to use a phone in a library?" His emotionless expression made Brielle feel uncomfortable. "*So much disrespect and stupidity in such an ugly girl."

Brielle caught only a few words of the last sentence; Ugly girl. "*Excuse me?" She reached out, attempting to take the phone back from him. He stood straight up and held the phone out of her reach. "*Give it back!" She pushed at his chest in an attempt the get him to cave in.

His face went hard as he slammed the phone on the ground and stomped on it. "*Who the hell do you think you are?" He asked, reaching up and shoving her into the wall.

"*Why are you picking on me?" Brielle asked, fighting back as fear filled her chest. "Let go of me."

Daoming Si gripped her wrist, sending a sharp pain up her arm as he held them against her side. "*I want you to stay out of my way." He said through his teeth as a tear ran down her cheek. "*If you ever see me walking anywhere in your direction, get out of my sight."

"*Or what?" She tried pushing him away from her, but the pain in her wrist grew worse. She hissed in pain as she tried to pull his fingers off her.

"*Or I'll make you wish you never came here." He looked down at her, his face almost pressing against hers. He suddenly released her hand and quickly walked away from her.

Brielle fell to the floor and clutched her wrist. The hot pain radiated through her wrist and into her fingers. There was no doubt it had been sprained before, but now she feared it was broken. Brielle quickly gathered her phone and attempted to stand. Her legs felt weak and her knees fought beneath her, but she managed to climb to her feet and move from the Library and down the hall to the health office.

* * *

The next day:

Brielle set her book in her locker and looked up at her new friend. Shiuri's eyes locked on the sling and wrap on Brielle's left wrist. "*What happened?" She asked, pointing to the sling.

Brielle closed her locker and looked down at her wrist. She couldn't tell her the truth. She was too embarrassed. "*I slipped in my apartment last night." She bit the inside of her lip, disappointed in herself for not being more honest. "I thought I had sprained it the other day in the hall, but last night it got worse. Nurse says it's fractured." Just as she opened her mouth to say the truth, she was caught off guard by Shiuri looking over her shoulder. Brielle immediately looked down, knowing that he was behind her.

"*Was I not clear yesterday?" His voice was cold.

Brielle flexed every muscle in her body, preparing herself to run. She was not ready to face him again, but she knew she couldn't allow him to hurt her anymore. "*You're the one who approached me." She said, refusing to turn around and look at him.

"*My locker is here." His voice sounded cocky. "*Guess you need to request a reassignment for yours."

Brielle paused for a moment, trying to put together the last sentence. _Request what?_ She thought to herself, not understanding one of the words. She looked up at Shiuri for help.

"Reassignment." She repeated. "He said you should ask to have your locker reassigned."

"Hey!" Daoming Si raised his voice, bringing their attention back to him. "You speak English?" He asked, his diction wavering.

Brielle turned to look at him, rolling her eyes. "*Yes I speak English. Mandarin is my second language, which I'm still learning."

He scoffed as a cold smirk formed on his face. "Should have known you weren't from around here."

Brielle kept her right arm covering the homemade wrap on her wrist, not wanting the catch his attention. "*Can you please leave me the hell alone?" She asked, turning away from him and hoping he would oblige.

He grabbed her arm suddenly, and she winced in pain as his palm collided with her bandage. His eyes shot to the bandage, and his brow raised. "What is this?" He asked watching as she cradled her wrist in her arms.

"*It's nothing." She replied trying to get him to let her go. She looked around, noticing that more people were starting to watch them.

"*She injured it in the hall the other day, then fell in her apartment last night and fractured it." Shiuri replied, putting her hand on Brielle noticing her tense with nerves.

"*Bullshit." He grabbed her good arm and started to pull her down the hallway.

"*Where are we going?" She asked, as her heart beat fast for fear of what he was going to do.

"*I'm taking you to the hospital." He said as they left the building and walked towards the parking lot.

Brielle pulled against him in protest. "*No, no. I can't afford the medical bill. My hand is fine, I promise." She tried planting her feet, but he was much stronger than her.

He stopped walking, noticing her attempt to stop him, and turned to face her. "*It's fine?" He asked, pursing his lips and looking down at her. She nodded. He cocked his head and extended his hand. "*Let me see it then." Brielle hesitated. She could still feel the pain and was afraid he would make it worse. Before she could respond, Ah-Si reached out and attempted to grab her hand. Brielle quickly drew back, stumbling and falling backwards. Ah-Si gripped on her good hand and pulled her back upright wrapping his other hand around her back. "*That's what I thought." He took her hand in his and continued walking towards the car.

As they approached the sports car, Brielle paused and looked up at Si. "*Daoming Si?" He raised his eyebrows and opened the door. "*Why are you taking me to the hospital? I can figure this out on my own."

He looked down at the ground and fixed his jacket. "*I take responsibility of my actions. I injured your wrist, so I have to make up for it." His eyes found hers, and he motioned towards the car. "*Lets go."

Brielle paused for a moment, then nodded and climbed into the passenger seat.

Sorry the first chapter is so short. I'm working on making them longer. The story does start off slow, as most relationships and stories do, so please be patient with me. I promise it will get juicy and exciting!


	2. Chapter 2

Apologies to those who were confused by chapters 2 and 3. Some error occurred when uploading which caused the incoherent text. I believe I have fixed the error. Please let me know how you are liking the story. I am hoping to post 1-2 chapters weekly depending on length and desire! Thank you!

Remember: "*Hello." means they are speaking Chinese, and "Hello." means it is in English. Enjoy!

Brielle looked down at the cast that covered her wrist. Daoming Si had used his families business ties to speed up the hospital visit, and even paid the bill. Brielle looked over at his stern face as he focused on the road, trying to come up witha way to properly show her gratitude. "*Thank you." Brielle said, trying to break the tension in the air as she leaned her head against the window and cradled her soft cast in her lap. She wanted to say more, but couldn't find the words.

"*It's the least I could do after fracturing your wrist." He replied, keeping his eyes on the road.

Brielle sat up straight and looked over at him. She had so many questions for him, but was nervous to approach him with anything. She looked back out the window, realizing they had passed the street she lived on. "*Where are we going?" She asked, looking back over at him. "*My street was back there."

"*I'm not taking you home." He said flatly. "*You're coming to my house."

Brielle blinked at him. "*What?"

"You're. Coming. To."

"*No. I understand what you said. But why are you taking me to your house?" She looked around, noticing they had pulled up to a gate.

Instead of answering, Ah-Si rolled down his window and punched in the keypad code. "Gate code is 8-7-7-2."

Brielle shook her head as they pulled up to the large house. "What? No." She stumbled with her words as he put the car in park.

"*Now when you miss me and want to come see me, you already have the code to get in." He smirked as he shut off the car and took out the keys.

Brielle raised her eyebrows. She had never seen any expression other than anger on his face. Suddenly the reminder of how she got hurt in the first place popped in her mind and she suddenly felt sick. Daoming Si opened his door, but before he could get hers, Brielle was out of the car and walking down the driveway.

"*Where are you going?" He asked, jogging down the driveway after her.

"I need to go home." She replied as she approached the gate. "*Can you please open the gate?" Instead of responding, Daoming Si wrapped his arms around her hips and lifted her off the ground. "*What? Daoming Si! Put me down."

"*I told you you're coming to my house." He walked back up the driveway with her in his arms.

"*Daoming Si, put me down." She tried to wiggle free, but failed as he stepped into the entry way of his house and set her down. A sudden wave of nausea fell over her, and her body felt hot. "I don't feel so good." She said, sitting down on the marble floor and trying to balance her mind.

Ah-Si knelt down beside her and felt her forehead. "You feel warm."

Brielle looked up at him, feeling her head spin. His face was inches from hers, and the image of him about to hit her flashed across her mind. Suddenly, she felt as if they were back in the library. Brielle gasped and pushed herself away from him. She felt the fear she had felt that moment in the library and suddenly couldn't fight back tears. "*I'm sorry. I need to get home. I'll stay out of your way from now on, I promise."

She fought to get to her feet but was pulled back down. Her heart began to panic as she fought against him, trying to get away. "*Hey, hey." He said, pulling her into his arms. "*I promise I won't hurt you again, okay."

Brielle felt her heart settle as she went limp against him. Daoming Si felt her go limp, and scooped her up into his arms. He carried her up the stairs and into his room, setting her down on the bed. "Where am I?" She asked, sitting up on the bed and looking around the dark blue room.

"My bedroom." He responded, walking over to the phone on the nightstand and picking up the hook. "*Have a bath ready in here." Before getting an answer, he hung up the line and turned to Brielle. "How do you feel?" He asked, sitting on the bed beside her.

She took a deep breath and looked over at him. "Really lightheaded."

He reached back up and felt her head. "*You really warm." His hand dropped from her head and landed beside her leg, the back of his fingers brushing against her jeans. "*I'm having a bath drawn for you, and after we can eat."

"Thank you." She laid back on the bed and closed her eyes.

"*Don't thank me then lay down on my bed. You could give a guy the wrong idea." He said watching her over his shoulder. Brielle sat up immediately and looked over at him. He wore a smile on his face as he stood from the bed and crossed the room as a tap came to the door. "*Lucky for you I can control my manly urges." He opened the door, allowing two ladies dressed as maids to enter the room.

Both women avoided eye contact and walked straight down the hall beside the door and to the bathroom. "Why would you force me when you have them?" Brielle mocked back, cocking her head to the side as their eyes met.

Daoming Si raised his brows and smirked. "*You must be feeling better." He cocked his head back at her. "*I guess I can call off the Couples Massage after dinner." He crossed the room and stood before her, stuffing his fists in his pockets.

"Massage?" She asked in surprise.

He nodded, bending over so his face was right in front of hers. He smiled, realizing she hadn't understood the word couples. "*After the massage, I'm guilt free for what I did to you." Brielle caught black and white movement from behind Daoming Si and leaned away from him. Daoming Si followed her gaze and stood up straight. "*Your bath is ready." He looked back at Brielle and smirked. "I'll remain a gentleman and stay right here." He motioned for her to follow the maids, then crawled onto the bed and laid down.

Brielle climbed off the bed and followed the maids down the short hallway and into his bathroom. The bathroom was large, but the bathtub appeared much bigger. Brielle gasped in excitement as she ran to the tubs edge and admired the soapy bubbles and coco butter smell that came from the water.

"*Your towels are on the stool. We will be at the door if you need us."

Brielle turned and smiled at the maids. "*Thank you very much."

The moment they left the room, Brielle removed her clothes and stepped into the bath. The water was hot against her skin, and the bubbles melted against her. She smiled as she leaned against the tub, allowing the stress to leave her had never felt so thankful for a soapy bath.

"*Relaxed?"

Brielle's eyes snapped opened and she jumped at the sound of his voice. "What the hell? Get out!"

He smirked and held up a plastic bag. "*We forgot to wrap your cast. Can't let it get wet."

"*You could have given it to the maids to help." She clung to the side of the tub to avoid him seeing anything. "*What happened to being a gentleman and staying out there?"

"*The maids went to go find you some clothes." He knelt down beside the tub and grabbed her cast.

Brielle reluctantly held out her arm and looked away from him, embarrassed. Ah-Si gently slid the bag over her arm and slicked it down over the cast. After removing all the air he could from the bag, he rested her hand on his knee and tied the bag at the top of the cast so water would stay out.

He examined his work before looking up at her and smirking. "*All good."

"*Thank you." She replied keeping her eyes from his and staring at the bathroom floor, her heart pounding out of her chest. She could feel his eyes still on her as he remained in a crouched position, her arm still resting on his knee. Suddenly, he stood and stretched over the bathtub. Brielle felt sheer panic take over her body as she turned over in the tub and threw her hand up to his chest to stop him, followed by a splash of water.

Daoming Si's eyes went dark as he looked down at her, water and suds dripping from his face and soaking his shirt. Brielle coiled further under the bubbles, and closed her eyes, waiting for any form of punishment he was about to inflict. But instead of his hand, she felt a rumble through the water and a vibration. Opening her eyes, she looked at the suds around her as the bubbles grew thicker from the jets. She carefully looked at Ah-Si, his body still stretched across the tub, his hand covering the touch pad.

"*If you're going to bathe in a luxury tub, you can't forget the jets." He gritted through his teeth as he looked back down at her, his face no longer showing emotion. His eyes moved to the soap, then back to her face. "*Besides, this way I can't see through the bubbles anymore."

Brielle gasped as she struggled to cover her chest by bringing her knees up to hide behind. The corner of Daoming Si's lip twitched, fighting a smile before it fell back to its emotionless state. He stood up straight and tugged at the base of his shirt before pulling it over his head, revealing his bare chest.

"What are you doing?" Brielle shouted, covering her eyes.

"*I'm soaked." He replied, tossing the shirt into the hamper.

"*You didn't have to change in here!" She shouted back, keeping her eyes shut.

Daoming Si chuckled to himself. "*Am I making you nervous?" He asked walking closer to the tub.

"*Just, get out." She stuttered, hugging her body even tighter.

"Or maybe I should join you." He was so close she could feel his breath on her ear.

Brielle jumped and slid across the tub. She looked up at his face, noticing the smirk he wore as he stood and began unbuttoning his jeans. Brielle quickly tried to move across the tub to get away from him to grab the towel off the stood the maids had left for her. But her hand slipped on the side of the tub and her body sunk under the water, her head bouncing off the faucet and sinking under.

Daoming Si quickly caught her just as she submerged and brought her head back above the surface. He gripped her under the arm and slid her over so he could grab a towel. "*Get in here now!" He shouted to the maids waiting on the other side of the door. Both maids rushed in and grabbed the towels when they realized the situation. Daoming Si closed his eyes and lifted the girl from the tub and into his arms. Keeping his eyes closed, he held her out just enough so the maids could wrap the towel around her and cover her body. "*Leave." He turned from the maids and walked from the bathroom back to his bedroom. As the two girls fled the room, Daoming Si set Brielle on the bed and pulled the covers up to her chest. He gently lifted her head and wrapped one of the towels around her hair. He paused, looking down at her sleeping face. In this state, she looked so peaceful and gentle. Daoming Si smiled, set her head back in the pillow, and moved to his closet to change.

* * *

Brielle felt her head pound as she slowly opened her eyes in the bright room. She took in a deep breath and looked around the room, noticing her stomach growl at the scent of food nearby. She carefully sad up and looked down, noticing she was wearing a very large shirt and basketball shorts. She reached up as she felt something fall from her head and pressed her hand against damp hair. "I was in the bath." She whispered, looking behind her at the damp towel and perfectly dry sheets.

"*You panicked and hit your head." His voice was close, but distant at the same time.

Brielle looked up and squinted through the bright lights, even using her hand to shade from the piercing brightness. "Daoming Si?" She asked, trying to look around the room for him, but failed at seeing much of anything beyond the bed.

Suddenly the light went out and the room was only visible with the help of the lamp on the night stand. Brielle looked towards the door at Ah-Si as he held a tray in his hand. "Are you hungry?" He asked, his English accent wavering.

Brielle felt her stomach grumble and she nodded. "How long was I asleep for?" She asked as he set the tray down on the bed beside her and sat down.

"An hour." He held out a bowl for her to take. As she reached out to take it, he swatted her hand away as his eyes fell upon her cast. "*Here. I'll feed you." Brielle's head was fuzzy as she tried to comprehend his words. Before she could put the sentence together, Ah-Si held a piece of chicken to her mouth. He raised his eyebrow, and pressed it against her lips. "Take a bite before it gets cold."

He must have sensed her difficulty translating because he spoke English so she didn't have to use her brain. Brielle took the bite. The savory flavor melted on her tongue, sending every sense in her body to explode and her body to go limp. She hadn't eaten since yesterday, so the feeling of food finally hitting her stomach made her smile.

Daoming Si took a bite, then held the chopsticks back to her mouth. "Stupid girl." He whispered just loud enough for her to hear as she took a bite.

Brielle chewed quickly, furrowing her brow. "How am I stupid?" She asked, covering her mouth with her hand as she swallowed.

He smirked as he shook his head. "You passed out, naked in a bath tub, with a half-naked man in the same room." He shook his head and took a bite. "How could you be so careless?"

Brielle quickly looked down at herself, then back to Ah-Si. "Daoming Si!" She screamed, grabbing the covers and covering her chest. "Did you?" She broke off her sentence, scared to ask the question.

"Did I see you naked?" He smirked as he asked the question. Brielle's face burned red. "I closed my eyes while I dressed you." Brielle exhaled with relief. "*Most of the time." Brielle cocked her head to the side, unable to depict the words. "Come on, eat up." He shoves another bite towards her lips.

Brielle finished the last bite on her own and looked across the room at Daoming Si, who had been intently staring at his laptop for the last thirty minutes. Brielle removed the covers from her body and stood, stretching her sore muscles. Crossing the room, she leaned over his shoulder looking at the laptop noticing pie charts and diagrams.

He suddenly shut the laptop and dropped his earpiece on the desk. "*Didn't your mom teach you it's rude to look over someone's shoulder?" He asked, turning in the seat to face her.

"*What are you working on?" She asked, sitting back on the coffee table.

"*Something you wouldn't understand." He pursed his lips and cocked his head to the side, folding his arms over his chest.

"*Just because I'm not a business major doesn't mean I won't understand it." She leaned away from him and looked around the room before noticing the clock on the wall and gasped. "*I need to get home! It's so late." She quickly ran to the front door, but was quickly stopped.

Ah-Si gripped her arm and pulled her into his chest. His hand gripped the back of her neck and kept her tightly against him. "Stay." His voice was soft and calm.

Brielle felt her body tense. This was the same guy who shoved her to the ground and fractured her wrist. The same guy who never showed emotion and ignored anyone who approached him. And yet this guy was holding her in his arms and asking her to stay. He smelled clean, and his chest was cold. "Stay?" She asked, her face squishing against his chest.

He gripped her shoulder and pushed her at arm's length so he could see her face. Leaning down, he raised an eyebrow and smirked. "*Stupid girl. Now you don't understand English?"

She pushed at his chest. "*I'm not an idiot. You're the one saying stupid things."

"*Enjoying your company _is_ pretty stupid." He mocked with a straight face. "*Besides, you're still sick from earlier." He quickly pressed his hand to her forehead before quickly dropping it. "Yep, you're burning up." Effortlessly, he swooped her up into his arms and carried her back to the bed.

"Hey! What are you doing?" She protested as he dropped her onto the bed and threw the covers over her.

"*It's bed time." He replied, tightly tucking the covers around her so she was unable to move.

"*Why can't I sleep in the guest room?" She shouted, trying to wiggle free.

He smirked, proud of his work as he watched her struggle to break free. He climbed on top of her and peered down on her, his legs straddling her hips. "*I'm trusting you to share my bed tonight. But if I wake up to you touching me inappropriately, I can't promise I'll stay a gentleman." He leaned in closer, testing her anxiety, before rolling off of her and turning off the night stand lamp. "Good night."

* * *

Brielle laid still in the bed. She could hear Daoming Si's deep breathing beside her, steady and heavy. She looked up at the ceiling and exhaled. She had been awake for the last hour, and couldn't fall asleep, especially beside him. She wiggled her legs gently, testing to see if he would wake up if she moved. Nothing.

Pushing the covers off, she slowly sat up, and draped her legs over the bed. Ah-Si stirred causing her to stiffen, but gently fell back asleep. Brielle sat up and pulled the covers back up to not disturb him. Moving to the seating area, she sat on the couch and looked down at the stack of magazines, picking up the first book and flipping through the pages. As she did, a small Polaroid photo fell out and onto the floor. Brielle scrunched her forehead and bent down, picking up the picture.

In the photo was a group of small boys, all wearing clothes that appeared too big for them. Brielle angled the photo so the light coming in from outside made it easier to see. She smiled, noticing a mini Daoming Si and the other three boys lined up in front of a large Private school. Brielle ran her fingers over the four boys, taking in each of their differences. Lei still looked reserved and quiet, Ximen was pushing his glasses back on the bridge of his nose, and Miezu was smiling and draping a stretched out long sleeve over his head. Then, Daoming Si. His little face was cocked to the side and wearing a scowl, and hands stuffed into his sweater pockets. Brielle laid back on the couch and held the photo against her chest.

She closed her eyes and thought about the four boys she had known of only a few days ago. She suddenly felt a bubble form in her chest of excitement. For what? Who knew? But for right now, in this moment, everything felt good.

* * *

Brielle opened her eyes to the sun peering in through the windows. She lifted her head, noticing a large warm blanket covering her body. She sat up, stretching and yawning as she looked around the room.

"*You Americans sure can sleep a lot." He said stepping out of the hallway that lead to the bathroom. He wore a towel around his waist and held one against his head as he dried his hair.

Brielle quickly looked away, trying to not look at him. "*What is wrong with you?" She shouted throwing the blanket over her head and laying back down. She felt the weight of the couch shift, and peeked over the cover.

Daoming Si sat just at her feet with the towel draped over his head as he looked at his phone. "*You're the one intruding on my home." He said with a straight face as he scrolled through something.

"*Intruding?" She pushed the covers off of her and jumped from the couch. Without saying another word, she walked briskly to the bedroom door and swung it open. Looking down both halls, she paused not knowing which direction to go.

"*Hey!"

She jumped at the sound of his voice and turned to the right, quickly running down the hall. "Please be the right way." She whispered to herself, pausing before continuing down another hall. She came to a dead end and quickly turned around to head back, but stopped. Daoming Si stood at the end of the hallway, his lips pursed with anger and he crossed as he watched her. Brielle took a deep breath and faced him full on. He started walking towards her, first slowly, then quick. Brielle stepped back closer to the wall as he stepped closer to her, pressing her further back and looking down at her. She tried to remain calm as her back pressed against the wall, but her heart was pounding so hard she could hardly breathe.

He pressed his hand against the wall on both sides of her and leaned down so his face was right in front of hers. "*You are infuriating." He spoke dryly as water from his hair ran down his temple.

Brielle looked up at him, her eyes searching his for an answer. "*I'm going to be late for school."

He cocked his head. "*You can't go dressed like that." He stood up straight and took her hand in his, leading her back to his room.

* * *

Brielle tugged at the itchy fabric that hugged her skin before reaching up to open her locker. The morning with Daoming Si had been awkward since she tried to leave. He brought her a change of clothes, which consisted of a pale pink dress and white shoes, had breakfast delivered to the room, and even drove her to school. Brielle quickly got away from him before he could catch her and walked straight to her locker.

"*Cute dress!" Brielle spun around to see Shiuri leaning against the lockers. "*Where did you get it?"

Brielle closed her locker and turned to face her friend. "*Would you believe me if I said Daoming Si gave it to me, this morning?"

Shiuri raised her brows. "*How," She paused to search her thoughts. "What?"

Brielle chuckled. "*He took me to the hospital yesterday to get this," She lifted her right arm to show the cast. "*After, he forced me to stay at his house so he could watch over me and make sure I was okay."

"You stayed at his house?" Shiuri gasped and smiled. "*Did you?" She raised her eyebrows and smirked.

"No!" Brielle said, almost loud enough for everyone in the halls to hear. "*But I did sleep in his bed with him." She felt herself blush as she quickly looked down. "*And saw him fresh out of the shower this morning."

Shiuri fought to contain her excitement as she bounced on her toes and clapped. "*I'd give everything I own to see that!"

Brielle chuckled, but quickly dropped her smile when she saw Daoming Si down the hallway. Her eyes watched him as he walked gracefully, the three other members of F4 following close behind him. As he grew closer, Brielle smiled softly, trying to show her gratitude. But instead, she was met with his ignoring eyes as he continued to look down the hall in front of him, not even acknowledging her.

Brielle turned back towards the lockers, confused. "He ignored me." She whispered to herself.

"*Maybe he didn't see you." Shiuri quickly replied, trying to raise her hopes.

"*Or maybe he doesn't want a fat foreigner with split ends." Came a voice Brielle had never heard before. Brielle turned to a taller girl with a purple steak in her dark hair leaning against the lockers and laughing. "*You actually believe you have a chance with Daoming Si? How pathetic. He would never go for a disgusting wannabe in cheap clothes." She held up a phone that played a clip on repeat of her talking about staying at Ah-Si's house. But instead, the clip made it look like she was making up the story and obsessing over him. "*The entire school has already seen the video, and no one wants a stalker like you here." She smirked, noticing Brielle's face dropping. "*Go back to America, bitch." Looking over her shoulder at her friend, she smirked. "*Did you get that?"

Her friend dropped her phone to her side, and smiled. "*Got it all."

Brielle scrunched her face in confusion. "*Can I help you?" She asked, trying to keep her face straight to hide her anxiety.

The girl with the purple streak turned back to face Brielle, her face shocked by her response. "*Yes." She folded her arms and looked around at all the on looking classmates. Motioning to them, she smiled a cynical smile. "*You can do us all a favor, and leave."

The hallway filled with laughter. Brielle looked around at all the faces peering down at her and suddenly felt her stomach drop as her body shook with fear. Brielle pushed off the lockers and hurried down the hall. She had heard enough, and even though she hadn't even put thought into dating Daoming Si, the words still hurt. As she rounded the corner, her steps turned to a run as the thought of having to be in the school with those students any longer.

"*Bri?" Brielle stopped and looked up to see the four boys standing across the hall from her. Daoming Si's eyes were flared, but he stayed in place. "*What's wrong with you?" He shouted from across the hall.

Brielle looked around the hall, watching as students looked up from their phones at her and whispering amongst themselves. Brielle let her hair fall in front of her face, trying to block out everyone, unable to stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words disappeared. He didn't care about her. He was doing what he had to do to clear his name of any wrongs he had against him. She could see it now, clear as day. Brielle turned from the group of boys and looked around her at the hall as more students filled the area, watching her. She wiped her tears before pushing through the crowd and exiting the school.

* * *

Brielle pulled her hair into a loose ponytail then continued stirring the food in the pot. _How am I supposed to go back there tomorrow?"_ She questioned herself, turning off the burner and removing the pot off the stove and setting it on a heat pad on the table. "At least I have a tasty dinner." She sat at the table and scooped the noodles into her bowl. She took a bite, then choked as the sound of banging on her door.

Standing back up and swallowing hard, she cautiously walked to the door. "*Who is it?" She asked, her fingers shaking.

"*It's me, Ah-Si."

Brielle froze, as she took a step back from the door. "Go away." Her voice quivered as she watched his shadow through the frosted glass door.

"*I'm not leaving until you talk to me." He replied, his voice firm. When she didn't respond, he pressed his hand against the glass. "*I'm taking off my jacket. Hope I don't catch a cold."

Brielle exhaled with frustration, then turned the door handle, opening the door a crack so she could see him. "*I don't want to-"

He cut her off by pushing past her into the house. Brielle spun around and watched as he walked to the kitchen table and dipped his finger in the soup, then placed it in his mouth. "*Not bad."

"*Please leave." She avoided eye contact, keeping her eyes on the ground. She felt awkward being in the same room as him now, but she didn't know what to do to get him to leave. She felt a tear fall down her cheek, but she brushed it away not wanting him to see. He stepped towards her, but she jumped away and ran to the bed where the dress he had given her lay. Walking back towards him, she held the dress out. "*Here's what you came for. I promise not to cause you anymore trouble." She sniffled, shaking the dress at him in hopes he would take it back from her. "*I'm already planning my flight back home."

As she finished the sentence, he reached out for the dress, but instead took her hand and pulled her into his arms. She dropped the dress on the ground as her hands fell to her side. "*Stupid girl." His voice was flat. "*I don't care about the dress."

She pushed at his chest. "Haven't you seen that video?" She looked up at him, tears running down her cheeks. "*I'm the laughing stalk of the school! Everyone believes I'm obsessed with you and stalking you!"

"*Who cares what they think about you?" He shouts back. "*You and I know the truth about last night, not them!" His nostrils flared and his arms tensed.

Brielle shook her head. "*You don't get it. No one is making fun of _you_ , or tormenting _you_." Her chin quivered as the tears became stronger. "*I can't stay here."

Daoming Si looked around the room frustrated, as though he were looking for something to break. Looking back at her, he took out his phone. "I'll fix this."

"What?" Before she could react, his arm wrapped around her waist, and he pulled her into his body. Brielle heard the click of the camera on his phone, and looked up, seeing he was holding the phone out for a photo. "What are you doing?" She asked, looking up at him. His lips pressed against hers, suddenly, and another click went off. Brielle pushed at his stomach trying to distance him, but was caught when his second hand gripped the back of her neck, keeping her in place. Brielle let her body go limp against his as her lips parted, allowing the kiss to grow deeper as her fingers gripped his jacket.

He removed his hand from the back of her neck only long enough to tuck his phone in his pocket, then gripped her head again. Wrapping his other arm tightly around her waist, he lifted her off her feet, and pressed her against the wall. His tongue slipped into her mouth and his hands moved to her hips and forced her legs around his torso, his hands gliding back up to her waist.

"Wait." She whispered in between kissed and she pushed at his shoulders. "*Wait."

Ah-Si pulled his lips back and looked into her eyes. "*What?" He seemed irritated as his brows furrowed.

Brielle unwrapped her legs and stepped back on the floor. "*This isn't right." She dropped her head and looked at the ground. "*Thank you for trying to cheer me up, but I don't need your pity."

"*Do you think I kiss anyone out of pity?" He argued back, still keeping her pinned on the wall.

"*I think you are trying to protect yourself from looking like the bad guy." She replied, keeping her palms flat against his body in an attempt to keep him at a distance. She wanted to kiss him again, but knew that it meant nothing to him.

He tightened his jaw and looked at the wall above her. "*Fine. I'll see you at school tomorrow." He replied, pushing off the wall and walking towards the door.

"*I'm not going back there." She replied, her eyes still unable to meet his in embarrassment.

He stopped and smiled back at her. "*Yes you are." He bit his bottom lip, then shut the door behind him.

* * *

Why am I doing this? Brielle stared into her locker, taking deep breaths and trying to calm herself. She could feel the looks falling over her and couldn't bring herself to move. Ah-Si told her to come to school, but why did she listen to him? The whispers going by made the hair on her body stand on end.

"*Do you believe it's true?"

"*Did you see the videos and photos of her?"

Brielle exhaled and carefully looked over her shoulder, noticing the many students gathering around her. She looked back into her locker and gripped her hands on the stack of books. Just go home. Just leave. Hurry and get out. But she couldn't move. Her legs were stuck in place and her hands tightened on the books.

"*Hey, Bri."

Slowly, Brielle turned around, her body shaking with shock as her eyes fell over the four boys before her. "*What?" She asked, looking up at Daoming Si, his face flat with no emotion.

Daoming Si smirked, raising his eyebrows. "*Let's go. I'm walking you to class." The hallway erupted in gasps and murmurs as he stepped forward and reached around her, collecting the book she had been gripping onto from the locker. His face was only inches from hers, as he watched her confused expression.

"*What are you doing?" She whispered so only he could hear her.

"Don't question me." He pulled her away from the locker and into his arms, hugging her as he shut her locker door behind her. Gasps erupted again, and Brielle felt her body weaken. "*Lets go." He ran his hand down her back, and gripped her hand in his. Pulling her gently, he walked down the hall with her in hand.

Brielle glanced over her shoulder at the three smirking boys that followed, and the group of students behind them. She looked down at her hand in Ah-Si's, then up to his face, her feet struggling to follow beside him. Her mind raced as she tried to remain calm, but everything was too overwhelming. Everyone was staring and whispering as they walked down the halls, causing Brielle to stiffen her walk as she fumbled over her feet.

Daoming Si squeezed her hand and looked down at her, his smirk still dancing on his face. He looked carefree for once, and it sent a chill through her body. She squeezed his hand back and looked back to the hallway of students.

Daoming Si stopped suddenly and pulled her into his arms. He leaned down so his head was buried in her hair, and wrapped his arms over her shoulders and down her back. "*Happy you came now?" He whispered in her ear as he squeezed her tighter.

"*I don't understand why you did this." She said back as he pulled away and looked down at her, his hands still on her waist.

"*What kind of man would I be if I let random people mistreat my girlfriend." Before she could react, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "*See you after class." He released her and handed her the textbook before walking down the hall without her.

Brielle froze, watching the boys walk away from her. Did he just call me his girlfriend? She turned to enter the classroom but paused as her eyes fell upon Shiuri. She wore a ginormous grin and looked as though she was holding her breath.

"*What just happened?" She fought a squeal as she clapped her hands together and jumped up and down.

Brielle scoffed and smiled, confused. "*I honestly don't know." She looked back down the hallways at the lingering eyes, girls frowning and glaring in her direction. "*I still think I'm the most hated girl in this school."

"*Well it's been viewed over two thousand times." Shiuri squealed, opening her phone and looking down at the screen. She held it out for Brielle to see.

Brielle pushed the phone out of her face and shook her head. "*Don't remind me of that embarrassing video." She replied, walking towards the classroom.

"*Embarrassing? I think it's cute." Shiuri responded looking down at the screen.

Brielle scrunched her brow and reached out, turning the phone so she could see the screen. In front of her was a four second video of the kiss she had last night with Daoming Si, followed by a photo of him hugging her in her living room. Brielle watched the video again, before scrolling to see where it came from. Directly under the photo was Daoming Si's name and the caption: '*My Girl.' Brielle handed back the phone and entered the class.

* * *

As the end of class bell rang, Brielle closed her book and turned to Shiuri. "Can I see that video again?" She asked, dropping her book into her bag.

Shiuri unlocked her phone and opened the app. "Daoming Si has never posted anything on here other than business related stuff, until this morning." She said, handing the phone to Brielle and packing up her belongings.

Brielle scrolled through the comments; "*Why can't this be me?" "*She's not even that pretty." "*Why would he choose her?" "*Go back to America!"

Brielle handed the phone back and stood from the desk. "Let's go eat. I'm starving." She said, trying to erase the hurtful comments from her mind. They walked towards the cafeteria, catching glimpses of angry girls as they passed. Brielle pulled a tray from the lunch line and turned to find a seat.

"*You think you're so clever, don't you?" Brielle looked to her right and noticed the same girl from the day before with the purple streak in her hair. She had her hands crossed over her chest and smirked as a small group of girls formed behind her.

Beside her stood the same friend with her phone out, ready to film the scene before her. She chewed a piece of bubble gum and popped a large pink bubble, before smiling a mischievous grin. "*We all know you are just using Daoming Si for his money. Greedy American."

Before Brielle could respond, a large hand removed the soy milk off her tray and dumped the contents on the bubblegum popping girl's head. Brielle followed the arm to see Ah-Si standing there with a furious look on his face as he stared down at the girls, his nose flared and eyes narrowed.

"*If I ever hear you say anything like that to her again," He paused and dropped the carton, looking to the purple streak girl, "*I'll make you wish you never stepped foot in this school." His voice was dark and threatening, and his head shook slightly as he pushed the words out. He stood straight and looked around the room at all the onlookers. "*If anyone has something to say, come talk to me." He pulled a tray off the line and took Brielle's hand. Squeezing it tightly, he pulled her to a table, waving his hand for the current occupants to leave, then set his tray down.

Brielle set her tray down and sat across from Ah-Si, Shiuri joining her side. Brielle kept her eyes fixated on Daoming Si as he picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the food. He scrunched his nose with disapproval, but took another bite anyways. Looking up from his tray, he leaned back in the chair and raised his brows. "Who's this?" He asked looking over at Shiuri.

"*Sun Shiuri." Brielle replied trying to read his face. "*She's my friend."

"*Your friend who doesn't help when you're getting bullied?" He shook his head and took another bite.

"*If you're going to be an ass, we can leave." Brielle stood from the table but was pushed back into her seat by a pair of large hands on her shoulder.

"*Don't mind Ah-Si." Came a male voice from above her head. "*He doesn't know how to properly treat a lady." The hands left her shoulders, and she glanced up as he moved around her and sat beside Daoming Si. Ximen wore his round glasses on the bridge of his nose, and his light brown hair draped perfectly over his forehead. He looked over at Ah-Si and smiled. "*Why haven't you properly introduced us to your girlfriend?" He asked looking just above Brielle's head then back to Daoming Si.

Brielle looked up noticing the other two boys were standing directly behind her. She quickly looked over at Shiuri whose eyes danced between the three boys in excitement.

Lei knelt down beside her and placed a hand on her cheek. Brielle quickly looked over at him, startled by his sudden closeness. "*She's cute." He remained emotionless as he stood up straight and walked around the table, sitting beside Ximen. Mei Zuo smiled and took a seat beside Shiuri.

Daoming Si sat up straight and dropped his chopsticks on the tray. "*I didn't want you idiots to make a big deal about it."

"*It's your first real relationship." Mei Zuo replied, stealing a piece of chicken from Shiuri's plate. "*Of course we're going to make a big deal about it."

Brielle looked at Daoming Si and raised her brows. She searched her memories of the night before, trying to remember when she had agreed to be his girlfriend. "Ah-Si, when did I-?"

"*Hey, stop talking and eat your food." He interrupted, handing her the chopsticks. "*Don't need you getting sick again." Brielle picked up the chopsticks and took a bite.

Ximen smiled as he looked from Ah-Si and Brielle. "*So Bri?" Brielle looked up from her food and raised her brows. "*What is your major?" He asked, leaning back in his chair and watching her.

Brielle used her napkin to wipe her mouth and swallowed the food. "*Language. I want to be a translator."

"*What kind of translator?" Mie Zuo asked, leaning on the table to get a better view of her.

"*I'm not sure yet. I'm thinking maybe a book or movie translator. But I also want to work with people."

"*How long have you been speaking other languages?" Lei asked, studying her face with a curious look. Though he appeared serious, there was a hint of a smile playing in his eyes.

Brielle felt her breath catch in her throat when she looked at him, suddenly feeling nervous. "*Well I only-"

"*Hey! Enough talking. Let her eat." Daoming Si interrupted, picking up his chopsticks and forcing a bite of chicken in her face. Brielle narrowed her eyes at him as he pressed the food against her lips. Giving in, she took the bite then picked up her own chopsticks.

The three boys chuckled. "*We just want to learn more about her, Ah-Si." Ximen replied, trying to hide a laugh. "*No need to get jealous."

Brielle looked up at Daoming Si, his eyes wide as he stared at her food plate in frustration. She smirked. _Is Ah-Si jealous_? Taking another bite, she looked to Shiuri who sat happy as Mie Zuo wrapped his arm around the back of her chair.

"*Shut up." Daoming Si suddenly replied back to the guys. "*Who would be jealous over her?" Pushing his tray away he stood up and walked away from the table.

Brielle watched as he left the building, then looked back at the other boys still at the table.

Ximen smiled as he leaned back in his chair. "*He's so delicate." He chucked, pressing his glasses further on his nose.

"*Delicate?" Shiuri asked, scrunching her brow. "*He always seems so," She paused as she looked at the three boys, debating on if she should finish her sentence. "Mad."

"*Ah-Si just doesn't like people to see his weaknesses." Lei said as he fiddled with a loose string on his sweater. "*He's actually quite the teddy bear."

Brielle choked out a laugh at the description of Ah-Si being a Teddy Bear. Quickly swallowing the food, she let the laugh out and sat back in her chair. "*Daoming Si? A teddy bear?" She thought back to the encounter in the library, her laugh dying down.

Ximen looked at Brielle, and smirked. "*Ah-Si called you his girlfriend. He's never given a single girl a second thought, yet he took you to his house and announced to the whole school you were together."

"*But I'm not his girlfriend." Brielle stated quietly so only their table could hear.

All three guys raised their brows, surprised. Mie Zuo sat straight up and looked over at her. "*Then, why did he say you were?" He asked, placing his elbow on the table and resting his head on his hand.

Brielle shrugged her shoulders. "*He showed up at my house last night, kissed me, and then told me to come to school and announced I was his girlfriend." She took a small bite. "*But I don't remember ever accepting or him even asking."

"*I see." Ximen replied. The boys all looked at each other, and rose from the table at the same time. "*We should let you finish eating. See you later." And with that they left.

Brielle turned to look at Shiuri, their eyes catching each other with confusion. "*What just happened?" Brielle asked, dropping her chopsticks.

Shiuri smiled. "*I don't know, but did you see how Mei Zuo had his arm around me." She hugged herself and grinned even harder. "*I've been going to school here for three years and this is the first time they have ever acknowledged me." She squealed with excitement.

Brielle pushed her tray away, unable to eat from all the confusion. "*I am so confused." She stated, shaking her head. "He's bullying me one day, then babying me the next and calling me his girlfriend. What's this kid's deal?"

"Maybe he doesn't know how he feels about you?" She replied, taking a bite of her food.

Brielle shook her head and looked around the room for any peeping eyes. For a moment, she had forgotten she was the most talked about person in school. But based off the glares she was still getting, no one else forgot. She looked back at Shiuri, "He hasn't even asked me how I feel about all of this." She exhaled. "Maybe I don't want to be his girlfriend."

"He's Daoming Si." Shiuri protested. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You can't just ignore the fact that the biggest bachelor in school has his eyes on you."

"What if it's just another one of his tricks?" Brielle slumped back into her chair. "What if he's just setting me up for humiliation? He threw me on the floor the first time he met me and fractured my wrist the second time." She quickly covered her mouth, realizing she had just admitted to what she vowed to keep to herself.

Shiuri's eyes widened. "He fractured your wrist?" She asked, looking from the cast back to her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Brielle rubbed her eyes. "I didn't want to cause problems. I just want to go to school and graduate so I can do my dream job." She felt the emotion fighting at her eyes as the memories of the last few days took over. "I don't want people to hate me because he chose to bully me. I don't want anyone to know who I am. I just want to do my own thing, and not worry about that jerk."

Shiuri nodded. "*Then don't let him." She took her friends hand and smiled up at here. "I'll do what I can to help you avoid him and get through each school day."

Brielle nodded in appreciation of her new friend. Things would be so much different if she was alone during this.


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the day consisted of hiding behind bushes and avoiding hallways as much as possible to stay away from Daoming Si. Although Brielle was exhausted from hiding, she felt better knowing he wasn't there to make things difficult, or possibly hurt her again.

As her final class let out she moved towards the door to find the classroom blocked by students. She pushed through the group to the front, instantly wishing she hadn't. At the front of the group was Daoming Si, leaning up against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. Brielle tried to push back into the class, but was caught suddenly by the collar of her shirt. She turned her head to see Ah-Si's hand gripping her shirt as he stood in the middle of the sea of students now towering over her.

"*Are you hiding from me?" He asked, raising his brows, ignoring the students who gawked just beside him.

"*He's even more handsome up close." One girl squealed. "*He smells so good." Said another one.

Brielle bit the inside of her cheek and contemplated running. She could drop to the ground, and crawl away, but that might not work. "*I forgot something at my desk." She lied, trying to loosen the grip on his hand. "*Why are you here?" She felt hot being at the center of the group of bodies. She gripped his hand, trying to pry his fingers loose.

"*Then let's go get it." He smirked, and pushed on her back, allowing her to walk back into the class.

"*I can get it myself." She replied, trying to turn around and stop him.

He removed his hand and stuffed them in his coat pockets. "*Fine. I'll wait." He stood in place at the top of the ramp and watched her break free of the group.

Brielle quickly walked to her desk and looked around. There has to be something here I can use. Removing her bag, she riffled through and pulled out her notebook. "*Got it." She turned around, holding it up to show him, but dropped it when she noticed he was only a desk away.

His eyes watched her intensely as the book hit the ground. He took a step forward and picked the book up off the floor. Holding it out to her, he raised an eyebrow. "*Why are you avoiding me?" He asked, quiet enough so the group of students behind him couldn't hear.

Brielle felt her chin quiver. Gripping her cast, she looked down trying to avoid eye contact. "I'm sorry." Those were the only words she could bring herself to say. Daoming Si dropped the book on the desk, causing Brielle to jump and fall back into her seat. She began shaking and held her cast closer against her as she fought back tears. "I'm so sorry." She fought out with a shaky voice.

Daoming Si knelt down in front of her and placed his hands on her knees. "*Why are you crying?" He asked, looking up at her eyes. Brielle pressed her fingers against her cheek and felt the dampness.

She had tried to suppress them, and hadn't realized that she was already crying. He lifted his hand to wipe at her cheek, and she flinched, swatting away his hand in fear. "*I'm sorry." She brought her hand to her face and closed her eyes, trying to hide from him. She had never felt so weak in her life.

Daoming Si turned and faced the group that huddled at the ramp of the entrance. "*Leave! Now." His voice was harsh and demanding. The group immediately dispersed out the doors. Ah-Si reached down and wrapped his hand behind her head, pulling her up and into his chest. "*Stop crying." He whispered, softly kissing her head as he wrapped his other hand around her back. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Brielle pushed at his chest and fought herself out of his arms. "*What are you doing?" She shouted, falling against the desk. "*You make no sense to me. Why are you messing with me?"

"*Messing with you?" He shouted back. "*How am I messing with you?"

She held up her cast "*You treat me like garbage and hurt me, then you pretend to be nice to me. You call me your girlfriend in front of the whole school and pretend you like me, only to what, dump me in front of everyone and torture me with humiliation?" The tears ran from her cheeks as she was unable to hold back her emotions. "What did I ever do to make you hate me?"

Ah-Si fell quiet as he looked down at the small crying girl. He reached out and ran his fingers through her hair, brushing it behind her ear. He didn't know what to say in the moment, and all he wanted to do was hold her. "*I don't hate you." He whispered, trailing his fingers down to her chin, and tilted her face to look at him. She fought against him, but eventually caved and looked into his eyes. "*I don't know how to act around you, but I promise to never hurt you again." He paused and rubbed his thumb against her cheek. "*I'm the one that is sorry."

Brielle let another tear run down her cheek. Although he had said all those words to her, a part of her still felt guarded against him. She wanted to wrap her arms around him, but she didn't want to cave into his words, just in case it was another one of his game. "*I'm not your girlfriend." She stated dryly, removing his hand from her face.

He nodded his head slowly and let his hand fall to his side. "*Come on. Let me drive you home." He turned away from her and walked towards the door.

Brielle gripped her bag and looked down at her hands. "*I think I'm going to walk." She took a step forward and looked up at him. "*I need to walk."

He stopped and waited for her to join him. "*Then I'll walk with you." He replied, holding open the classroom door for her.

Brielle shook her head. "*I need to walk alone." She turned from him and walked away.

* * *

Brielle opened the front door to her home and stepped inside. Her feet hurt from the walk, but her body felt great overall. She had taken the time she needed to herself to think and process everything that had happened, relieving the stress and anxiety Ah-Si had put on her. She sat down on her couch, and leaned back into the cushion, propping her feet up on the coffee table. It had been forever since she had a moment to herself, and the feeling was amazing. Taking out her phone, she scanned over her notifications, noticing amongst the missed calls her mother's name. Glancing at the time, she hit dial and put the phone on speaker, listening to it ring out.

"Hi baby girl." Came her mother's voice through the speaker.

Brielle immediately felt the tears tug at the eyes. "Hi momma." She choked out, trying to hide her emotions.

"What's wrong?" Her voice was concerned and demanding.

"A lot has happened since we last talked." Brielle took a deep breath and explained the events that had happened. Through the call, she had to decline a random number three times, ignoring as she vented to the woman she missed the most. "I have no idea what is happening right now and I feel like I'm stuck in a nightmare."

"Just breathe darling. It sounds to me like this boy likes you." Her mom chuckled. "You even said that he's never been in a relationship. Maybe he's scared about how he is feeling towards you." Brielle nodded, remembering how she left out the part about her being in a cast. "I have to get back to work Hun, but send me a photo of him. I need to approve before you continue this relationship."

Brielle chuckled, and hung up the phone. She laid back in the cushion only to jump upright as the front door swung open. She immediately jumped over the side of the couch and grabbed the closest item to her, the broom, and readied herself to attack.

The shadow of the person shone through the glass pane on the door as he stepped in, causing Brielle's heart to race. He was much bigger than she was, and most likely stronger. As his foot stepped past the door, Brielle closed her eyes and readied the broom to attack.

"*Stupid girl." Brielle's eyes sparked open as she recognized the voice. "*Do you really think you could take me down with a broom?" He asked, smirking.

Brielle puffed her cheeks and swung the broom, hitting his shoulder. "*What the hell is wrong with you!" She shouted, hitting him again. "*Are you too privileged to knock? You can't just barge into someone's house like that!" She hit him again as the words escaped in rage. "I thought I was going to die!"

Daoming Si gripped the broom, catching her off guard, and leaned down so he was at her eye level. "*Who leaves their door unlocked in this part of town?" He asked, ripping the broom from her hands and tossing it on the ground. "*You're lucky it was just me and not some Rapist."

Brielle shut the front door, blocking out the cold air. "*Why are you here?" She asked, turning back to him.

He raised his brows, as though she were supposed to already know. "*I called you four times to check on you and you didn't answer. This is a terrible neighborhood, you could have been kidnapped."

Brielle closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "*I'm fine. I've lived here for over a month and nothing bad has happened." She looked back at his scrunched face, her mother's words popping into her head. "*Why are you here?" She repeated, sitting down on the couch, feeling her body weaken.

Daoming Si crosses the room and knelt down beside her, placing his hand on her forehead. "*You worry me." He admitted, removing his hand. "*Are you feeling sick?" He asked as she laid back in the couch cushions.

"*I'm just tired." She replied, keeping her eyes closed. The exhaustion was setting in, making it almost impossible to keep her eyes opened.

"*Stupid girl." He wrapped an arm under her legs and behind her back and lifted her from the couch. Carrying her to the bed, he paused, looking down at her sleepy face. He smiled, and set her onto the bed.

Brielle laughed, tired and dazed. "*You just smiled." She poked his cheek.

Ah-Si stood up straight and looked down at her. "Have you been drugged?" He asked, slightly amused as he pulled at the blankets, wrapping them around her.

Brielle rolled over and looked up at Ah-Si. "Why did you come here?" She asked him seriously, snuggling up under the covers.

Daoming Si sat on the end of the bed and looked over at her. "*Why does it matter so much?" He asked, finding her foot through the blanket and gripping her toes.

Brielle fought against him, kicking her toes free. "Because you're in my house at 9 at night. Someone might get the wrong idea."

Daoming Si shrugged. "*Let them. I don't care about what they have to say." His hand landed on her calf and he squeezed gently.

Brielle closed her eyes and buried her face in the pillows. "Well, you did post that photo of us kissing." She mumbled.

Ah-Si smirked. "Should I post a more convincing one?" He mocked, crawling towards her on the bed and plopping down beside her.

Brielle yawned and clutched the pillow tighter. "I'm not your girlfriend." She grumbled. "*Stop using me to upset all the girls at school."

"*Does it bother you?" He asked, rolling onto his side and brushing the back of his fingers against her arm.

"*A lot of girls at school hate me because they think we're together." Her voice became more and more tired. "*I already don't fit in. This makes it harder." She mumbled beneath her breath.

He rolled onto his back and looked up at the ceiling, noticing the water marks through the paint. "Then date me in secret. No one else has to know." He turned his head to look at her, but noticed a light snore coming from her lips. He sat up on his elbow and peered over her shoulder. Her eyes were gently closed and her mouth parted slightly. He smiled, gently brushing a stray hair out of her face. Carefully, he pulled on her shoulder so she rolled onto her back, her body still limp and asleep. "*Stupid girl." He leaned his head down and softly pressed his lips to hers.

* * *

Brielle woke up to a sizzle sound coming from somewhere in the house. She shot upright and looked at the kitchen, prepared to see a burst of flames as she believed she had forgotten food on the stove. Instead, she noticed a tall shirtless man standing at the stove, a cloud of steam in front of him. Brielle rubbed her sleepy eyes trying to remember what had happened. She suddenly snapped awake as she lifted the covers to see she was still in her jeans from the night before. Exhaling in relief, she looked back up at the tall boy in her small kitchen.

"Good morning." Daoming Si shouted across the room as he turned to place the pot on the table. He smiled and crossed the room to the bed. "*I hope you don't mind. I wanted to attempt making breakfast this morning." He plopped down on the bed and leaned back on his hand. "*I never get to cook at home."

Brielle's eyes wandered over his torso, before finding his eyes. "*Why are you cooking shirtless?" She asked, forcing her eyes to focus anywhere but his chest. She settled her eyes on the earing in his ear, something she had not noticed before.

"*I spilled some water on myself." He said glancing over at his sweater hanging on her drying rack. "*Is it too much for you to handle?" He smirked, looking back down at her and leaning his head closer trying to get her to look at him.

Brielle caved and looked at him, raising her brows. "*Do you not know what personal space is?" She asked, staring back into his eyes.

Daoming Si remained silent as he looked over her face. He brought a hand up and pressed it to the side of her cheek. Brielle flinched, but let his hand cradle her face. He leaned in, and gently pressed his lips against her forehead. "I don't know what personal space is." He let a smirk dance on his lips as he bit his bottom lip. "*Especially not with you."

Brielle pulled her face free and sat up straight in the bed. Clearing her throat, she looked towards the kitchen. "*What did you make for breakfast?"

Ah-Si slowly sat up, his eyes still on her. "*Soup." He said, his smirk fading.

Brielle quickly slid the blanket off her legs and draped her feet over the edge of the bed. "*Yum." She stood up, only to be pulled back down. "*Daoming-"

He pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling his face into her hair. "*Give me one minute." He whispered, his breath hot against her neck.

"*Ah-Si, what are you doing?" She asked, trying to turn her head so she could see him.

He squeezed her tighter. "*You're couch is extremely uncomfortable." He complained, his voice tired. Brielle looked at the other side of her bed, noticing it had been unslept in. She looked back to the couch, noticing a blanket and pillow sprawled out. "*You slept on the couch?" She asked, almost surprised.

He nodded into her hair. "*My neck and back are sore now."

"*Why didn't you just go home and sleep in your own bed?"

He pulled his head from her neck and turned her so he could see her face. "And miss this ugly morning face?" He smiled and let a small laugh slip through his lips. He suddenly furrowed his brow. "*Hey! Be thankful I was a gentleman and didn't crawl into your bed."

"*Wouldn't be the first time you forced me to sleep with you."

Daoming Si pushed her off his lap and back onto the bed. "*Don't say it like that. You make me sound as if I forced myself onto you."

Brielle jumped from the bed and looked down at him. "*Didn't you?" She cocked her head at him and motioned her arms towards him referring to the fact he was just holding her in his lap.

He stood up and pushed at her shoulder. "*Your letting the food get cold." He turned from the bed and walked back into the kitchen. "*I want your honest opinion." He poured the soup into a bowl and set it on the placemat.

Brielle cautiously sat at the table and sniffed the air. It smelled surprisingly good for his first time cooking. Brielle picked up her spoon and tasted the soup. She paused, taking in the salty content, searching for the flavor. Looking up at Daoming Si's serious face, she scrunched her brow. "It's a little salty."

Ah-Si sat down and dipped his spoon into the bowl and tasted the soup. He scrunched his nose and looked up. "It is salty." He confirmed. He set his spoon down on the table and sat back in the chair cursing under his breath.

Brielle pushed the bowl away and looked over her shoulder. "*I need to shower." She said, standing from the table and looked over at Daoming Si. "*I'll see you at school?" She gripped the towel on the laundry line and dashed to the bathroom.

Brielle quickly showered and wrapped the towel around her body. She pushed open the bathroom door, quietly peaking around the corner to the kitchen to see if he had left, noticing his sweater was no longer hanging on the drying rack. She exhaled and stepped out of the bathroom only to freeze as a hand gripped hers and spun her around.

She looked up into Daoming Si's calm stare as her eyes widened in horror. Brielle gripped at the towel watching him as he looked down at her, his eyes wandering over her shoulders then down to her legs, a smirk forming on his lips.

His eyes met hers, his grin growing. "*Now I'm happy I forgot my wallet."

Brielle pulled her hand free from his and stumbled into the wall. "*I thought you left!" She shouted, trying to keep herself covered. "*Why are you still here?"

Ah-Si took a step forward and looked down at her, his grin still beaming down at her. "*I did leave. But when I got to my car I realized I forgot my wallet and came back." He took another step. "*You have a great singing voice."

Brielle broke their eye contact and looked at her legs, realizing the towel wasn't very long, and only reached the middle of her thigh. "*Can you learn to knock?" She gripped the bottom of the towel and bent slightly in an attempt to keep her body covered.

Ah-Si leaned against the wall, trapping her in place. He trailed his fingers over her damp cheek, his eyes demanding contact from her. "*If anyone ever sees you like this, I'll kill them." He cupped her chin and tilted her head so their eyes met again. "*You're lucky I'm a gentleman." Before she could react, he pushed off the wall and left the house.

Brielle ran after him and locked the door. She exhaled abruptly, realizing she had been holding her breath during the entire interaction.

* * *

Brielle walked down the school hallway refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Although she had been completely alone with Daoming Si, she couldn't help but feel like everyone knew what happened. She crossed her arms over her chest and dropped her head. _I can't believe he saw me like that_. She thought to herself, approaching her locker and typing in the code.

Opening the door, she paused noticing an object that hadn't been there before. Picking up the object, she noticed a note under it and scanned over the characters.

'*For You.'

Brielle opened the box and gasped as she noticed a delicate necklace with a simple golden ring attached to it. On the underside of the lid was a polaroid photo of Daoming Si smiling as if he had taken the photo himself and another that appeared to be a photo he took the night she had stayed at his place; she was asleep and his lips here against her hair. Brielle felt herself blush as she looked at the two photos.

Brielle felt her phone buzzed in her pocket and set the box back in the locker. She pulled the phone out and looked down at the text notification.

'*Do you like it?'

Brielle looked around the hallway and noticed Daoming Si standing at the far end of the hall surrounded by the other members of F4, and holding his phone. He smirked when their eyes met. Brielle set her phone in the locker and pulled the necklace from the velvet, looking at the simplicity of the ring.

"*That's cute." Shiuri popped into view beside the lockers and pointed at the simple necklace. "Where did you get it?" Brielle sneaked a glance over her shoulder before tilting the box lid so her friend could see the Polaroid's. Shiuri gasped and clapped her hands, looking closer at the pictures. "He got you this?"

Brielle closed the box and set it back in her locker, nodding. She watched as her phone lit up again; '*Why won't you wear it?' it read.

Brielle picked up the phone and tucked it into her back pocket. "I have so much to tell you." She closed the locker and walked down the hall towards class.

Shiuri nodded. "I heard he came to your class yesterday." She gripped onto her books in her hands. "I overheard other students saying he offered to pay for your ticket back to the states."

"What? No he-" Brielle waited till they were in a more isolated hall before telling her the details of the day before. She told her about how he showed up at her house and ended up staying the night. But when it came to explaining this morning, she couldn't bring herself to disclose the details. "Then I get to school and that was waiting for me in my locker." She smiled thinking about the necklace back in her locker. As excited as she was, she wasn't ready to wear anything from him due to having nothing of value to offer him.

"He's so likes you." Shiuri clasped her hands together and smiled. "I'm so jealous."

Brielle snapped her eyes to her friend and shook her head. "We're just friends." She protested, halting in front of their class and turning to face her friend. "Nothing is happening between us." She held her hands up in defense.

Shiuri laughed and opened the door to the class. "*Keep telling yourself that."

Brielle pulled out her phone and looked down at the notifications. Three messages from Daoming Si, and two from her mom. She leaned against the wall and hit the dial button.

"Hey mom. What are you doing up so late?" She asked once the line answered.

Her mom took a deep breath. "Couldn't sleep so I figured I should try to reach you." She could hear her mother messing with something in the background, as though she was washing dishes. "My birthday is in a few days. Did you get your ticket yet?"

Brielle smiled. "Yes. I received the confirmation email you sent this morning." She felt a tear build in her eye. "I can't wait to see you."

They had never been separated for more than a few days, and this last month had been the hardest without her. Brielle clutched the phone tightly in her hand as she pushed away the urge to cry.

"Think I can convince you to stay once you're here?" Her mom chuckled.

Brielle laughed as the tear fell from her eye. "I don't know mom. Things have been pretty crazy here, and I do miss home. But it's all so exciting and new. I can't run away just yet."

Her mom's laugh sounded exhausted. "Can't leave before seeing where things are going with this boy either."

Brielle rolled her eyes. "Stop creating things that aren't there mom." She joked, looking down at her feet as a picture of Daoming Si entered her mind.

"Based off what you've told me, this kid is interested in you Hun. Don't fight it."

"I'm not discussing an imaginary relationship with you right now." She laughed again as she looked up, jumping in shock when a pair of eyes met hers.

"*What relationship?" He asked, his head cocking to the side as he smirked.

"Is that him?" Shouted her mom over the phone. "Is he cute? He sounds cute!"

Brielle swallowed hard at the lump forming in her throat. "Mom, I'll talk to you later." She stuttered as his smirk grew to a grin.

"Wait, wait! I need to know who he is."

"Bye! Love you too!" Brielle hung up the phone and clutched it in her hands. "*How long have you been standing there?" She asked, standing up straight and clearing her throat.

He took a step closer and smiled down at her. "*Long enough to hear you talking about me with your mom." He took another step closer and Brielle could smell his cologne, causing her head to spin and heart to race.

Brielle looked away and dropped her hands realizing she was excited to see him, and didn't want him to notice. "*We weren't talking about you." She said back, trying to keep her voice level.

He took another step. "*Then who were you talking about?" His face grew serious as he looked down on her, his cheeks flexing as he clenched his jaw.

Brielle took a wavered breath and looked up at him. "*Why are you so nosey?" She asked, keeping her composure. "*It's none of your concern."

He pressed his hand against the wall behind her and leaned down so his face was in front of hers. "*But it does concern me." His response was cool and emotionless. "*Everything you do concerns me." He pressed his lips against the top of her hair.

Brielle pushed at his chest and quickly looked around the hall. "*Ah-Si. I told you that you can't do stuff like this here. People are going to get the wrong idea."

"*So let them." He leaned back in and trapped her against the wall again. "*I happen to like being this close to you." He whispered, kissing her head again. "*Even more when I see how excited you get to see me."

She would never admit it out loud, but she also liked being close to him. Brielle felt him moving closer and firmly pressed her hands against his chest. "Ah-Si, someone might see us."

His fingers brushed the bottom of her chin and tilted her head up. "*I don't care." His voice was hushed but strong. His thumb circled her cheek as his eyes burned into hers. He studied her for what felt to Brielle like an hour before speaking again. "*But I know you do care." The corner of his lips twitched and he stood up straight, his hand dropping from her cheek. Without saying anything more, he turned from her and walked down the hallway.

Brielle watched as he walked away and pressed her fingers to her lips. She had anticipated him kissing her and even wanted it to happen. But as she faded back to reality, she noticed the halls filling with students, a clear sign it should not have happened.


	4. Chapter 4

Brielle stared at her phone as she walked through the halls on campus. She had expected to see something from Daoming Si by now, but hadn't heard or seen from him since that morning in the hallway a few days back. Brielle stopped at one of the classrooms and peered inside, noticing the sound of a piano being played. She smiled and cracked the door open so she could hear the beautiful music. She leaned against the door and looked back down at her phone; still nothing.

The music suddenly stopped and Brielle stood upright, glancing into the room. "*Do you like it?" Lei peered over the top of piano and smiled at her as they locked eyes.

Brielle stepped into the room and walked closer to the piano. "*It's very beautiful." She smiled as she stood next to the piano, setting her purse down beside one of the legs. "*How long have you been playing for?" She asked, peering over the top to watch as his fingers moved over the keys again. The melody was soft and airy.

"*Since I could walk." He spoke gently over the music, his eyes watching his fingers move effortlessly. "*Do you play?" He asked, looking up at her with a curious smile.

She smiled hesitantly. "*I took a few lessons in high school."

Lei shifted himself on the bench and motioned for her to join him. Brielle froze for a moment before stepping around the piano and sat down on the bench. Lei reached in front of her and took her hand, placing it on the keys. "*Put your fingers here and here." He picked up each of her fingers and placed them on the individual keys. "*Next is this." He took her fingers again and moved them to a new set of keys. He then removed his hands and placed them on his side of the keys. "*Okay, now play it like this." He played the keys and looked up at her. "Got it?" Brielle played the notes he taught her and smiled. He nodded his head. "Keep playing that." As she continued to play the notes he began playing a song on his side, occasionally brushing his fingers against hers to reach a note.

Brielle smiled with excitement as the song played out, looking up at Lei and his content face. As the song neared the end, Hua Ze Lei placed his fingers above hers and guided her through the final notes. Brielle clapped her hands in excitement and turned to face him on the bench. "*That was so amazing!"

Lei smiled and bowed his head in praise. "*I'm glad you enjoyed it." He rested his elbow on the piano and his head in his hand. "*What does Daoming Si see in you?" He asked abruptly, his face dropping back into the calm expression he always wore as he studied her face.

Brielle looked away, embarrassed, and traced her fingers along the piano keys. "*What kind of question is that?" She asked, trying her best to keep her eyes off of him and on the piano.

He let out a small laugh, his eyes still locked on her. "*A curious one." He replied, sitting up and running his finger over the keys. "*Don't get me wrong, you're really cute." He continued, looking back over at her, his eyes still smiling. "*But what makes you so special from any other girl that have been interested in F4?"

Brielle's lip pouted as she thought about the question herself. There was no way Ah-Si had feelings for her. He was just trying to clear his conscious, right? She looked up at Lei and straightened her face. "*Daoming Si is just clearing his conscious from hurting me." She said lifting her hand to show the cast.

Lei took her hand and examined the cast. "*He did this?" He asked, his voice raised but still calm. He studied her fingers before looking up at her face, his eyes locking with hers.

Brielle nodded her head and pulled her hand from his. "*I sprained it the first time when he pushed me on the floor, then he fractured it a few days later by grabbing it too tight." She looked away immediately embarrassed for telling him what happened. "*I know it was an accident." She protested. She suddenly stood from the bench and picked up her bag. "*Don't tell him I said anything." She pleaded as she backed away from the piano. "*I've already caused enough trouble with him and don't want to make the situation worse." She swallowed hard and clenched her purse. "*I don't need him to feel like he owes me anything else." She nodded quickly and turned from the room.

"*I can see it now." Lei called after her just before she left the room. Brielle paused at the door, listening as he stood from the bench and walked behind her. He placed his hand on her shoulder and leaned in so his lips brushed the hair covering her ear. "*Not only are you cute, but extremely interesting." A chill ran down her spine as he paused. "*I like it." Straightening his back, he walked around her and headed down the hall, his hands stuffed in his sweater pockets.

Brielle watched him leave, clutching the door for balance. She exhaled, straightening her body and adjusting her purse. She carefully stepped out of the room and headed the opposite direction. Her heart was beating out of her chest, and her breath caught in her throat. She rubbed her neck, trying to erase the sound of his voice in her head.

"*Hey."

Brielle spun around, tripping over her feet and colliding with the locker. A large hand stabilized her back, and helped her regain her balance. "Ah-Si." She glanced up at his stern face and quickly looked away, her stomach turning in knots.

"*Where are you coming from?" He asked, his grip on her arm loosening as he watched her stand up straight.

She looked back up at him and smiled, her heart beating faster. "*Umm, I was just coming from the bathroom." She responded nodding her head as if she were trying to convince herself. "*I was just heading home." She pulled her arm from him and turned, continuing down the hall.

"*Let me give you a ride." He strolled beside her, stuffing his hands in his leather jacket pockets.

Brielle looked up at him and remembered their exchange of words that earlier that day. "*You don't have to." She looked back at the hallway, and pushed through the building doors to the bight sky.

Daoming Si reached around and took her hand. "*I don't have to, but I want to." He pulled her in the direction of his car. "*Plus, I need to talk to you about something."

Brielle followed behind him, her hand in his. She looked up at him, his face firm and hair unfazed by the wind blowing. She blinked, trying to pull herself out of the daze she was caught in. Her heart began pounding with anxiety as his hand gripped tighter around hers. She began to notice the groups of people watching them, and felt her heart pound harder as more and more eyes fell over them. "*Ah-Si." She pulled at his hand trying to get his attention. "*Ah-Si."

He stopped at the car and opened the passenger door for her. "*Come on." He motioned for her to sit in the seat, his eyes widening when she remained still. "*What is it?" He asked, his eyes becoming curious. Brielle looked around at the onlookers again. Before she could say anything, he reached down and cupped her face in both his hands. "*Let's talk in the car."

Brielle nodded and climbed in the passenger seat, watching him as he closed the door behind her then walk in front of the car to the driver side. He climbed into his seat and started the car looking over at her as he revved the engine. Brielle felt her body loosen up as she smiled and playfully hit his arm.

Daoming Si smiled briefly and pulled the car onto the street. Brielle relaxed in the seat and looked over at him. "*What did you want to talk about?" She asked, resting her head on the back-rest.

He smirked and glanced over at her. "*Do you like me?" He asked his eyes focusing back on the road.

Brielle sat back up and looked at the ground. She felt her cheeks turn red as she thought about the question. _I do like him_? She thought to herself. _But I can't admit it. He'll just make fun of me_. She glanced up at him as they stopped at a red light. "*I've definitely noticed a change in you since we first met." She replied, trying to avoid the question.

He turned left as the light turned green and continued on the road. "*That's not what I asked." He stated back. "*Earlier, when you were on the phone with your mom you were talking about a guy you liked." He looked over at her. "*Was that guy me?" His voice seemed sincere as he asked the question.

Brielle looked down at her hands and exhaled. She felt terrified to admit she felt something for him. Even though he had been nice the past week, her gut still screamed at her to not trust him. "*You've been a good friend recently." She stated quietly, dropping her head into her chest.

Daoming Si parked the car in front of her building and turned to look at her, his brow furrowed. "Friend?" He asked, his hand reaching out to her and turning her face to look at him. "*Am I just a friend to you?" His brows raised as he asked the question and his eyes stayed locked to hers.

"*What are you to me?" She asked, looking back at him. She felt her heart beat against her chest as his eyes burned into her.

He bit his lip and leaned his head closer to her, pressing his forehead to hers. "*What is Lei to you?" Brielle immediately sat up and looked at him with wide eyes. His face grew stern as he pursed his lips waiting for the answer.

"What?" She felt her heart race. His words were so abrupt, she couldn't process the words. _Lei?_ She thought to herself, thinking back to the few times she had interacted with him. "I barely know him."

He exhaled and looked up at her. "*I saw you and Lei in the music room. You looked very comfortable with him." He took a breath as if he was trying to contain his anger. "*Is he the one you like?"

Brielle took a breath and straightened her face, trying to connect his words. She suddenly felt very upset and hurt. "*He was nice and teaching me a song." She fought to remain her composure as she searched his face. "*I don't understand why you are so demanding over me." She unclasped her seatbelt and collected her purse off the floor.

Daoming Si gripped her elbow. "*I won't be made a fool."

Brielle pulled her arm from his grip and clutched onto the door handle. "Just leave me the hell alone." She pulled the handle and quickly climbed out of the car.

"Bri!" Daoming Si climbed out of the car and shouted after her.

Brielle ignored his call and ran to her front door. She slammed the door shut behind her and locked the deadbolt. Fighting back her anger, she pulled the suitcase from her closet and tossed it on the couch. Jogging to the dresser, she immediately began packing for her trip back to the states.

* * *

Brielle set her suitcase on the bed and took in a deep breath, filling her lungs with the scent of her old bedroom. She smiled as she looked around, noticing her mom spent no time taking over her closet and dresser with her own clothes. She traced her finger over the patterns in the quilt on her bed and looked over at her mom in the doorway.

"Glad to see my room hasn't been completely taken over yet." She joked, turning to her mother and draping her arms over her shoulder. She squeezed her mom tightly, feeling that if she let go she would lose her forever.

"Only the necessities." Her mom joked as she hugged her back. "C'mon." She said patting her daughters back. "We have a lot to talk about." She pulled from her daughters arms and took her hand. "Let me make you something to eat and we can talk about this boy of yours." She pulled her from the room and down the hall.

Brielle rolled her eyes but followed. "There is no boy mom." She replied as they entered the kitchen. Brielle sat at the counter while her mom pulled open the fridge. She didn't want to think of Ah-Si. She came home to spend time with her mom, not cry over some boy. Brielle bit her lip as she fought against the thought of him.

"Then who was the guy you said liked you?" She set down a tub of spaghetti and set it on the counter. "The one who had a gorgeous smile and kissed like a-"

"Mom!" Brielle cut off her mom as she started laughing. "I never said anything like that!"

Her mom let out a loud laugh as she scooped the spaghetti into a frying pan. "Can I at least see what he looks like?" Her mom turned from the stove and leaned against the counter. "I need to approve of this man of yours."

Brielle rolled her eyes and pulled her phone from her pocket. "I guess there is no fighting you on this." Reluctantly, she looked down at the phone and noticed a missed call from Daoming Si. Ignoring it, she opened the phone and searched for a photo of him, finally finding one off his social media. She held her phone out to her mom, who took the phone in her own hands for a better look.

"He's so handsome!" Her mom squealed looking down at the photo. She pinched her fingers on the screen trying to zoom in on the photo. "Oh!" She jumped suddenly and smiled up at Brielle. "I think he's calling!" Before Brielle could react, her mom stepped away from the counter and held the phone up to her ear. "Hello?"

Brielle jumped off the stool and ran around the counter. "Mom! Stop!" She reached out for the phone but her mom turned before she could grab it.

"Do Ming Sa?" Her mom said jogging to the other end of the kitchen. "We were just talking about you! I'm Brielle's mom."

Brielle paused in place, her heart beating as anxiety filled her. "Mom!" She couldn't help but pinch her face as the thought of his voice popped into her head.

Her mom listened to the phone, smiling. "I'm so happy to finally have her home. Thank you for taking good care of her." She nodded and smiled again. "Yes she's right here!"

She handed Brielle the phone. Brielle looked down at the name then back at her mom. She immediately ran from the kitchen and into the living room and pressed the phone against her ear. "*Daoming Si? Why are you calling?"

"*You haven't come to school! I've been calling you for hours!" He shouted into the phone.

Brielle pulled the phone from her ear to save her hearing. Once he stopped shouting, she pressed it back to her ear. "*I was on a flight for twenty hours and just got home!" She shouted back, not realizing how raised her voice was. "*Why are you yelling at me?"

He took a deep breath. "*I've been worried sick about you!" He replied, exhaling. The phone was quiet as they both paused, trying to come up with something to say. "*I went by your house after school and waited for hours for you. When are you coming home?" His voice was furious as he spit the words into the phone.

Brielle flared her nostrils as she took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. "*Don't worry about me anymore." She replied, upset at how he walk treating her. "*I'm home now, so just continue on with your life."

"*What the hell are you talking about?" He shouted back into the phone.

"*I'm not putting up with you acting like this. Don't call me again." Brielle hung up the call and shut the phone off.

"Did you two just fight?" Came her mom's voice from around the corner. Brielle felt a tear run down her cheek and quickly wiped it away. She nodded. "Oh Honey. He seemed so concerned on the phone. What happened?"

Brielle shook her head and put on a smile. "It's okay mom. He's used to getting his way, so he gets upset when I fight him on things." She replied, smiling back at her and forcing out a small laugh.

"He cares about you." Replied her mom as they walked back into the kitchen. "He sounded so flustered on the phone when I answered."

Brielle shook her head as she sat back at the counter. "He cares about his reputation." She watched as her mom stirred the spaghetti.

* * *

Brielle pushed the covers off her body and looked up at the familiar ceiling. The light from outside was bright illuminating the bedroom. Brielle sat up and pet the small dog that curled itself up beside her. "Good morning Booger." The small dog rolled onto its back and looked at her. She smiled and draped her feet over the side of the bed, stretching her arms up.

She collected her pajama shorts off the end of the bed and pulled them over her legs. The small dog perked up and watched her move to the bedroom door, jumping off the bed and following her into the hallway. She yawned as the sound of her mother's voice echoed through the house, then entered the bathroom.

"You are such a romantic!" Her mom's voice chimed in her ears. Brielle paused and poked her head back into the hallway. Her mother's laugh pierced her ears and the small white dog ran from the bathroom and into the living room. "Bri is going to be so happy to see you."

Quickly, Brielle moved from the bathroom and into the living room, stopping dead in her tracks as she looked at a familiar head of hair. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she stood in place, unable to move.

"Bri!" Her mother's words pulled her out of her daze and blinked before turning her attention to her mom and then back to the dark spikey hair. "Look whose here!" Her mom sprung off the couch and ran around the sofa, taking her daughters arm and pulling her to the couch.

Brielle watched as he set down his empty plate and unscrewed the top of his water bottle. Taking a swig, he looked up at her from under his lashes, a smirk forming on his face.

"*What are you doing here?" She asked as her mom forcefully pushed her onto the couch beside him.

Daoming Si calmly twisted the cap back on, looking down at his hands and setting the water bottle on the coffee table. "*Stupid girl." He muttered so her mother wouldn't understand before looking up at her. "Are you not happy to see me?" He asked, cocking his head and smirking.

Brielle casually pinched the back of her hand, waiting to wake up from a dream. Hissing in pain, she looked back up at Ah-Si, her heart pounding against her chest. "I'm confused. Why did you fly all the way here?"

"I decided to leave a few days early for break." He leaned back into the couch cushions and positioned his body so he could face her straight on. "I figured it was more interesting to visit this town of yours than Hawaii."

"Hawaii?" Her mom gasped and covered her mouth. "You chose to come here over Hawaii?" She smiled and leaned forward, interested in the conversation. "I haven't been to Hawaii since before Brielle was born."

Daoming Si sat back up and smiled at Brielle's mom. "I'll have to bring you along with me the next time I go."

Brielle shook her head and stood up from the couch. "Hawaii is beautiful this time of year. Have a good vacation." She moved from the living room and back down the hallway. Before she could reach her room, she felt a pressure on her shoulder and spun around to see Ah-Si behind her. "*Stop following me." She shouted, forcing his hand off her.

"*Let me talk to you." He whispered, forcing her forward and into her bedroom. Shutting the door behind him, he turned to face her, his face flat with emotion. "*You had me worried sick." He spoke the words as though he could barely breathe.

Brielle crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from him. "*I didn't know you could feel anything besides anger towards me." She repeated, staring at him in the reflection of the makeup mirror on the dresser.

Suddenly, his arms were wrapped around her and his head was nestled in her shoulder. Brielle dropped her arms and froze, completely shocked and unable to move. Ah-Si took a deep breath, absorbing her smell and warmth. "*Why do you do this to me?" He asked, his lips brushing her neck.

"Do what?" Brielle asked, slightly turning her head so she could hear him better.

"*When you didn't come to school, I was worried you might be sick. I went by your house and waited outside for hours. When you didn't answer the door or your phone, I was afraid something had happened to you." He took another long and shaky breath. "*When your mom answered the phone and said you had gone home, I couldn't bare not getting to see you again." His lips brushed her neck much more now, becoming more of a kiss than words.

Brielle felt her lip quiver at his words. She loved being this close to him, and the feeling scared her. She could never have him, and he wasn't making it easy to get over him. "Ah-Si, let me go." She tried to wiggle out of his grip but he squeezed tighter. "Ah-Si."

He released her only enough to turn her around so she faced him. Brielle pushed her hands under his arms and rested them on his chest, attempting to distance their bodies. "*I don't understand you." He replied, resting his head on top of hers.

"You don't need to understand me." She replied, pushing herself out of his arms. "Can you please leave?" She asked, leaning back on the dresser.

He shook his head as he stepped closer to her. "No. I will not leave." He brushed her hair over ear and looked down at her. "*Bri? I just really want to hold you." His voice was soft and sent a chill down her spine.

"Ah-Si." Brielle clutched his jacket in her hands and buried her face in his chest. She desperately wanted his arms around her, but she know this wasn't helping her feelings.

His hand pressed on her side and moved over her hip while his other hand clutched the base of her head and his fingers entangled in her hair. "*Let me see your face." He whispered, his thumb trailing her jaw and forcing her face up.

Brielle fought back for only a moment before caving in and tilting her head up to look at him. Her eyes watered as she looked at his serious face. He clenched his jaw as his eyes looked over her face, dark circles forming under his eyes. "Ah-Si, when was the last time you slept?" She ask, lifting one of her hands and running her thumb against his cheek bones.

Daoming Si rested his cheek in her hand. "I slept a few hours on the plane." He brought his hand up from her hip and looped his fingers with hers, pressing it firmly against his skin. He kissed her palm before looking back down at her. "*Don't ever leave like that again." He whispered, leaning down and pressing his lips against her forehead.

Brielle pat his chest in an attempt to get his attention. "Ah-Si. If we stay in here any longer, my mom is going to get the wrong impression." She felt his body shake as he laughed quietly. "*I'm serious. She already thinks you're my boyfriend."

She tried to push out of his arms, but he squeezed tighter. "I like your mom." He chuckled again and then released her gently, brushing her hair out of her face as he looked at her. "*She can see what's going on between us, even if you don't." Rustling her hair, he smiled the biggest grin she had ever seen. "*You look adorable when you first wake up."

"Stop it!" Brielle shouted, slapping his hand away and hitting his shoulder.

Ah-Si laughed with surprise, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Bri! Stop trying to force me in your bed!" He shouted, jumping just as she hit him again. "Bri! Stop trying to take my shirt off!"

Brielle's face burst red and she turned from the room bolting it to the bathroom. Daoming Si ran after her, and pounded his fists on the door. "*Go away you psycho!" Brielle shouted from inside the bathroom, trying her best to hide her laughter.

"*Stop denying your feelings for me then!" His laugh bellowed through the halls and into the bathroom.

Brielle leaned against the door and smiled. She had never seen him so happy and care free. Maybe he did like her, and she was just being cautious with her feelings. "*Stop being a pervert and let me shower!" She shouted back through the door before grabbing a towel and starting the shower.

* * *

Brielle wrapped the large towel around her body and stood at the bathroom door, cursing at herself for not grabbing a change of clothes. She took in a deep breath and turned the knob, poking her head out into the hallway before dashing down the hall and into her bedroom. Slamming the door shut, she quickly changed into appropriate clothes and brushed through her wet hair before heading back to the kitchen.

"How exciting." Her mom's voice chimed over the sound of something sizzling on the stove. Brielle inhaled the wonderful smell of fried breakfast potatoes and smiled. Her mom made the best fried potatoes, and she had missed the delicious flavors.

"What do you call this again?" Daoming Si's voice sounded intriguing as he spoke with her mom. Brielle peered around the wall to see him standing beside her and holding up a cooking utensil.

"A spatula." Her mom replied, taking his arm and showing him how she flipped the sliced of potatoes. "You sure you haven't cooked before? You're pretty good at this."

Daoming Si looked over at her and smiled. "I'm good at most things."

Brielle's mom playfully swatted his arm, and turned to the island counter. "About time you got down here!" Brielle locked eyes with her mom and pushed off the wall, entering the room. "Did you take a long enough shower? I thought you were drowning." Her mother playfully joked as she laid a piece of bacon on the griddle.

"Drowning?" Ah-Si spun around, his eyes wide as he looked over Brielle. "*What happened?"

Brielle chuckled as she walked closer to him and poked at the pink apron he was wearing. "Cute."

"*Hey!" He held the spatula up at her and pointed it, trying to intimidate her. "*Your mother said I had to wear this." He looked down at her as if he were trying to keep a straight face.

Brielle turned to look at her mom and laughed. "How dare you force him to do something he doesn't want to do mom."

Daoming Si reached around and covered her mouth. "That's not what I said." Dropping the spatula on the counter, he reached around with his other and pinned her back against him. "*How dare you make me look bad in front of your mom. I'm trying to impress her."

Brielle laughed as she fought to try and free herself from his hands. "*Why would you want to do that?"

He caught both of her arms and pinned her back in place so she was unable to move. "*If I'm on your mom's good side, she'll convince you to date me."

Brielle paused and looked up at him, their eyes locking. "*What makes you think I'll listen to her?"

Daoming Si looked away from her and towards her mom. "Hey Mom." Brielle's eyes snapped open as he said the words. "Can I date your daughter?"

Brielle looked over at her mom, whose face was full of joy. She pointed her tongs at him and smiled. "Not if you burn my potatoes."

Daoming Si quickly stood up straight and released Brielle, turning back to the potatoes and picking up the spatula. "I'll protect these potatoes with my life!" He stated as he quickly flipped the potatoes in the pan. Brielle glanced over at her mom who was still grinning from ear to ear.


	5. Chapter 5

I'm still trying to figue out the spacing when it comes to different times in the story.

Let me know your thoughts on the story! I'd love to hear your feedback! Enjoy!

* * *

Brielle held the blanket in her hands and stood before the bed. She looked from the small twin size bed and then Ah-Si beside her. "I know it's small." She said quietly, almost embarrassed. "I can sleep here if you want to take my bed."

Daoming Si shook his head and looked down at her. "You should sleep in your own bed." He set his pillow on the bed and laid down, his feet dangling over the edge. "*I'm very comfortable." He looked up at her through his lashed and pouted his lip. "Stay with me a while?"

Brielle stood in place, contemplating his request. She looked down at the blanket in her hands, then held it out to him. "In case you get cold." Ah-Si rolled onto his side and looked up at her, resting his hand on the small empty spot beside him. Brielle cleared her throat and pulled the blanket closer to her body. "Ah-Si, even if there was room, I don't think my mother would be okay with it."

He sat up and draped his legs over the edge of the bed so he could face her. "I don't think your mom would mind. She likes me." He grinned his devilish grin.

Brielle clenched her lips, trying to hide her forming smile. "She likes you, yes. But that doesn't mean she is okay with us sleeping together."

Daoming Si brought his hands up in defense. "I'll be the perfect gentleman, just like the two times we shared a bed before."

Brielle furrowed her brow. "I thought the second time you slept on the couch." Ah-Si leaned back on his hands and grinned up at her. Brielle shook her head and tossed the blanket at him. "Get some sleep. You've been up for over 24 hours." She turned and headed for the door.

"Bri." Ignoring him, she closed the door behind her and headed to her room.

Brielle closed her bedroom door and sat on the edge of her bed. The day's events swarmed her mind and caused the hair on her body to stand on end. A part of her still couldn't believe he flew all the way here for her. But the other part was so happy he did. Brielle pulled herself to the head of the bed and pulled the covers over her body. She stared up at the ceiling, noticing the glowing stars she had used to decorate her room when she was a kid. She smiled, remembering when her father would hold her over his head so she could reach up and place them herself.

Rolling over, Brielle let out a sigh and closed her eyes. Still jet lag, she was finding it difficult to fall asleep at this time. Suddenly, she felt the covers on the bed shift and the bed move. Before she could turn to see what it was, a large arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her against his cold body.

"What are you-?"

"*Quiet." His voice was soft in her ear. He nuzzled his face into her hair and took in a deep breath. "*I lied. That bed is extremely uncomfortable."

Brielle felt his arm shake around her as if he were cold. "Ah-Si? Are you okay?" She asked trying to turn around in his arms.

Tightening his grip, he buried his face deeper into her neck. "*Don't move." He took another deep breath. "*I need a moment to be selfish."

Brielle nodded slightly and rested her hand on top of his. She felt his chest rise and fall with each breath, the warm air hitting her neck each time. After a moment, she gripped his hand and shook him slightly. "Ah-Si. My mother-"

He sat up suddenly and rolled her onto her back so she was still tucked into his arms and forced to look up at him. "*Your mother is sound asleep. I promise I won't let her catch us."

Brielle looked up at him, barely able to see his features through the darkness. She pressed her hand against his forehead, moving her fingers into his hair and brushing it out of his face. "You're not warm, so you can't be getting sick."

He shook his head and looked back down at her. "*Can't I just lay here with you in my arms?" He asked, his free hand reaching down to her face and brushing her hair behind her ear.

"I'm just worried of what will happen tomorrow, or the next day." She exhaled and looked away from him. "I can never tell if you like me or if you're playing with me."

"You?" He scoffed and Brielle could picture the smile forming on his face. "*You're the one constantly fighting against me and wanting nothing to do with me." He clicked his tongue in disapproval. "*I've told you I like you. How are you still confused?"

Brielle avoided eye contact. She felt stupid for feeling the way she did, but it was hard to believe him. "*I feel like any minute you're going to tell me it was all a prank." She took a deep breath as the anxiety filled her. She closed her eyes, hoping that when she opened them she would be alone again.

But instead, he moved in closer, pressing his forehead to hers. His hand cupped her face and he took a deep breath. "*I promise with every ounce of my being that I will never make you hurt the way I did when we first met."

Brielle felt her breath catch in her throat at his words. "Ah-Si?"

"Hmm?" His voice was sleepy, but still present.

Brielle gently pressed her hands against his chest, taking in a wavered breath. She felt her heart beat against her chest as her mind began to spin. Her hands on his chest turned to fists of his shirt as she worked up the courage to say what she wanted. "*I don't want you to hold me." She watched his eyebrows raise as he searched her face for a reason. "I want you to kiss me."

Just as the words escaped, his lips smashed against hers. Brielle wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his chest against her. Ah-Si wrapped his arm around her waist and closed the gap between their hips as he pressed himself into her, his other hand gripped her chin, sliding behind her head and deepening the kiss. Brielle felt her heart race as their lips moved together, her hands clenching into fistfuls of his shirt. Ah-Si pulled his lips from her and looked down at her, searching her face before bringing his lips to the hollow of her throat.

Brielle breathed in heavily as his lips trailed over her collar bones then back to her throat and up her chin. "Ah-Si." She exhaled, but was cut off by his lips covering hers again.

His tongue gently touched her top lip as their lips parted, then slid in further with each separation. Brielle wrapped her legs around his waist and her fingers entangled in his hair. Daoming Si released her waist and let his fingers trail down her side, stopping at the base of her pajama top. Playing with the fabric, he lifted her shirt only enough for his fingers to graze her skin. Gripping her bare skin, he rolled their bodies so she was now on top of him.

Brielle looked down at him, his eyes watching her carefully. Leaning down, she pressed a gentle kiss on his lips before sitting back up. His hands rested on her hips, squeezing every now and then.

"Daoming Si?" She whispered, afraid of being too loud.

Ah-Si pulled himself upright, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, resting his head in the curve of her neck. "Thank you." He whispered, kissing her collar bone.

"For what?" She folded her feet together behind his body and rested her hands on his sides. She felt oddly comfortable being in his arms, and couldn't fight the smile that formed on her face. She trailed her fingers along his sides and kissed his shoulder through his shirt.

He leaned back carefully and pressed both of his hands on her cheeks, weaving his fingers into her hair. "For finally showing your true feelings about me." He bit his bottom lip, then smiled.

Brielle laughed and pushed at his chest. "Shut up." She attempted to move off his lap, but his arm wrapped around her and pulled her back to him. "Ah-Si."

He rolled over, clutching her to him, and pinned her back against the mattress. "I want to kiss you again." He whispered, looking into her eyes and smirking. Brielle struggled to break free, but his grip was strong.

She smiled back up at him. "Are you forcing me?" She asked, biting her bottom lip.

His face became soft as his hands loosened. "*Tell me to stop." He leaned in closer and paused, waiting for her reaction. When she didn't move, he pressed his lips to hers again, this time soft and sweet. Brielle looped her arms behind his head, and deepened the kiss, feeling his hands grip her sides. Ah-Si suddenly sat up, and moved to the edge of the bed, dropping his head in his hands. "*You didn't tell me to stop." He whispered, rubbing his temples.

Brielle sat up and looked over at him. She crawled to his side and laid her head on his knee so she could peer up at him. "*What's wrong?" She asked, gripping his arm and trying to get him to look at her.

Ah-Si peered down at her over his hand and smiled. "*I want to stay a gentleman." He whispered, dropping his hand and brushing her hair back. "*But you make it hard."

Brielle sat up and turned away from him, embarrassed. "Maybe we should go back to bed." She crawled to the top of the bed and pulled the covers over her. She watched as he debated his next move, scratching his head before standing to his feet. Before he could say anything, Brielle moved to one side of the bed and pulled back the covers. "Sleep."

Daoming Si looked over his shoulder at her and smirked. "*You trust me?" He asked, trying to sound scary.

Brielle smiled back and nodded. "Good night Ah-Si."

* * *

Brielle rolled over in bed, and stretched out her body, her muscles aching and sore. She opened her eyes and peered at the sleeping boy beside her, his face pure and dreamy. Brielle attempted to sit up, trying to not disturb him, but was immediately pulled back to the bed and wrapped in his arms. She pressed her hand against his bare chest and looked up at his face, his eyes still closed and a smirk on his face.

"Ah-Si, you're awake?"

He scrunched his face and looked down at her through heavy eyes. "*Of course I'm awake. You snore like a train." He laughed slightly then kissed her forehead. "*My sleep pattern isn't lined up yet. I've been awake for two hours."

Brielle quickly rolled out of his arms and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the clock. "It's only 6am?" She laid back down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. "That means its 9pm back in China."

Ah-Si wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck. "*So we can lay here for 8 more hours?"

Brielle pushed against his chest and sat back up. "*Today is my mom's birthday. I'm not spending it here with you." She draped her legs over the bed and pushed the covers off of her. "*I'm going to make her breakfast."

Daoming Si sat up and pulled his shirt back over his head. Standing, he slid on his slippers and walked towards her. "*I'll go make my baby bed look like it was slept in last night." He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head.

"*Did my snoring really keep you awake?" She asked, looking up at him and pouting her lip.

Ah-Si placed his finger on her lip and pulled it towards her chin before leaning down and kissing her. "*No. I actually find it relaxing."

Brielle felt her cheeks grow red and quickly pushed herself out of his arms. "*Hurry before my mom wakes up and catches you." She pushed at his arm, forcing him towards the door.

"*Wait, wait." He spun back around and wrapped his arms around her shoulder, pinning her arms to her side. "Good morning." He smiled down and kissed her nose, then her lips.

When their lips parted, she smiled back up at him and hugged his waist. "*Morning." She reached back up and kissed him gently before pulling from his arms again. "Go."

After he left, Brielle waited a moment before leaving herself, and taking a quick shower. After her shower, she ran to the kitchen, towel still fastened around her head, and grabbed the eggs from the fridge.

"Hey Bri?"

Brielle spun around to see Daoming Si standing in the doorway, shirtless. She raised her eyebrow as he ran his fingers through his bed head. "Ye-Yes?" She set the eggs on the counter and looked around to make sure her mother wasn't there.

"Where is a towel for the shower?" He asked, smirking at her expression.

Brielle swallowed back the embarrassment that built in her throat as she thought about wanting to kiss him. "Cupboard outside bathroom." She stuttered, turning from him and pretending to work on breakfast.

He smirked and crossed the room, placing his hand on the curve of her back. "*Why are you so embarrassed now? You were perfectly fine last night when you were-" Brielle dropped the fork in her hand and placed her hands on the counter, embarrassed.

"Good morning!" Her mother chimed into the room.

Brielle spun around and nonchalantly pushed at Daoming Si to step away from her. "Good Morning mom! Happy Birthday!" She moved away from Ah-Si and wrapped her arms around her mom's neck.

"Aw thank you honey." She looked over Brielle's shoulder at the counter. "Are you two making breakfast?" She asked, her eyes falling over Daoming Si.

Brielle shook her arms in protest. "Ah-Si was just about to jump in the shower. I'm making you breakfast."

Ah-Si took his cue and approached the ladies. "Happy Birthday Mom." He wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

Her eyes lit up as she looked at Brielle. "Thank you Doe Ming Se."

Brielle chuckled at her mother's incorrect pronunciation of his name once again. Daoming Si stood back up straight and headed down the hall towards the bathroom. "I don't know how I feel about that." Brielle joked, turning back around and cracking one of the eggs into a bowl.

"Jealous?" Her mom joked, leaning up against the counter and tilting her head. Brielle scoffed, picking up a clean fork and whisking the eggs. "I guess a hug wouldn't faze you once you've shared a bed with him."

Brielle stopped whisking and faced her mom. "What?"

She laughed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not stupid. I heard him going down the hall and into your room. When I got out of bed to use the bathroom later that night, I checked in on you and saw you two sound asleep." She arched her eyebrow and smirked. "I thought you weren't together?"

Brielle stared at the bowl of eggs in front of her, feeling her face grow red. "We're not together." She quickly picked up the bowl and poured it into the pan. "Can you hand me the bread?"

Her mom pushed off the counter and crossed the room to the bread. "Well whatever is going on between you two, I hope you're happy." He rested her hand on Brielle's back and set the bread on the counter beside her. "And safe."

"Don't think too far into anything, Mom." Brielle opened the bread and dropped three pieces into the toaster.

"I just love the two of you together." She clasped her hands over her chest and smiled. "The way he looks at you makes my heart swoon."

Brielle rolled her eyes and continued cooking. She knew if she kept bating, her mother would continue exaggerating the situation, and only making things worse.

"Smells great!" Daoming Si stepped into the kitchen and leaned over Brielle's shoulder, peering down at the food she was plating.

Brielle quickly moved out from under him and pointed to the table. "Sit."

Ah-Si raised his brows in surprise and draped the towel over his damp head. "*Pushy, pushy." He smirked and stepped over to the table in the kitchen, sitting down beside her mother. She reached out and handed him the orange juice, taking a sip of her own. "What are your plans for your birthday tonight?" He asked, taking the jug from her and pouring some into his own glass.

She looked up at him over her glass and smiled. "Usually, Bri and I bake cupcakes together, then watch a movie on the couch."

He took a sip of his juice, then looked back at her. "May I treat you two to dinner tonight?" He asked, glancing over at Brielle for approval. "I'll stay out of your way the rest of the time, but I would like to do something for you."

Brielle's mom smiled. "You don't have to do that." She batted her hand at him. "Just bake with us and enjoy a movie."

"Thank you. But only if you have dinner with me." He set down his glass and folded his arms over his chest.

Brielle set their plates down in front of them. "Don't fight him on this mom." She sat on the chair between them and reached for the glass. Daoming Si snatched the juice and held it away from her, forcing her to allow him to pour her glass for her. She narrowed her eyes at him. "He's very stubborn." Brielle took her glass from him and took a sip.

* * *

Brielle poured the chocolate batter into the last cupcake tin and set the bowl on the counter. Turning to Ah-Si, she handed him one of the whisks and raised her brow when he scrunched his face. "Taste it." She said, licking the chocolate off the whisk.

Daoming Si bent down and touched his tongue to the whisk, looking up at her as the taste hit his mouth. "*That's good."

She motioned for him to take it again and watched as he held it to his mouth and licked the chocolate from the sides. She smiled as she licked her own and turned to her mom. "Is the oven ready?"

Her mom smiled up at her, noticing the scene that had just taken place and nodded. "It's ready."

Brielle exhaled and picked up the tray. "*Let me do it." Daoming Si exclaimed, quickly taking the tray from her hands and walking it over to the stove.

"Set it in half way, and use the glove there to push it in the rest of the way so you don't burn yourself."

Brielle watched a he carefully placed the pan on the tray, and push it in using the glove. When her mom shut it, he turned around and smiled, feeling accomplished. "I've never made cupcakes, or any other kind of sweet before." He looked over at Brielle, his eyes bright with excitement.

"*You did great kid." She joked, taking another lick of her whisk.

His eyes perked up and he puffed his chest. "*Who are you calling kid? I'm older than you!" He quickly crossed the room and took the whisk from her hands, holding it up and out of her reach.

Brielle spun around and slid her fingers along the inside of the bowl, turning back to him and wiping it along his face. Regret suddenly spread across her face as his arm wrapped around her waist and lifted her off the ground, and pressed the chocolate covered whisk against her face. Brielle tried to break free, but he trapped her legs between him and the counter and dipped his fingers into the bowl, pressing it against her cheeks and lips. Brielle laughed as she licked her lips of the cake batter, as her body slumped onto the counter. Ah-Si laughed along with her as he reached up and attempted to clean her face, his fingers only smearing the batter.

"Go wash up you two." Her mom's voice caught them off guard.

Daoming Si quickly stepped away from the counter and held out his hand for Brielle. Helping her to her feet, they both hurried down the hall to the bathroom. Brielle soaked a rag and turned, holding it out to Daoming Si. Instead of taking the rag, he gripped her hand and pulled her towards him.

"Ah-Si,"

He pressed his finger against her lips then moved it to her cheek, whipping the chocolate onto his finger. "*You've got something here." He leaned down and pressed his lips against her cheek, parking them slightly so his tongue collected the desert from her face. "*And here." He moved to the other side of her face, and licked her cheek. He pinched her chin between his fingers and looked into her eyes. "And here." He pressed his lips against hers for only a moment, before taking the rag from her and wiping her face.

"Stop that." She took the rag back from his hand and turned to the mirror. Wiping her face, she avoided eye contact with him, and focused on cleaning herself up.

"Stop what?" He asked, stepping behind her and watching her in the mirror.

She bit the inside of her cheek and glanced up at him before looking back down. "Stop flirting with me in front of my mom." She turned from the mirror and handed him the rag. "She saw us last night."

His eyebrows perked up as a smile stretched over his face. "So then why do we have to hide this?" He started whipping his face.

"It's not that I want to hide anything." She hopped onto the counter and dangled her legs. "It's just that when she brings it up, I don't know what to tell her."

Ah-Si put the rag on the counter and stepped in front of her, placing his hands on her knees. He tilted her head up so she was forced to look at him. "*Be my girlfriend."

Brielle quickly looked down, clearing her throat. "What?" She felt her voice crack as her palms became sweaty. "You can't just-"

"Be my girlfriend." He pulled her gaze back to him, and placed both hands on the sides of her cheeks. "I'm serious."

Brielle looked into his eyes and watched as he moved in closer and set his forehead against hers. She inhaled, catching the chocolate smell on his face. "You're not pranking me, are you?" She joked, closing her eyes and smirking.

He carefully pressed his lips against hers, and smiled gently as he parted her lips to deepen the kiss. "*I want you to be my girlfriend." He kissed her lips again, parting so he could look back into her eyes. "Be with me." Before Brielle knew what she was doing, her head started to nod. She closed her eyes and rested her head into his hands. "*Was that a yes?" He asked, lifting her limp head.

She smiled and pushed at his hands, sitting back up straight. "Come on. My mom's going to get suspicious if we take any longer." She pushed him just far enough so she could slide down off the counter.

Daoming Si pressed her back into the counter and ran his hand along her shoulders. "*You aren't moving until I get an answer."

Brielle smirked and reached up on her toes, planting a kiss on his cheek. As he froze, she took her chance and dashed from the room. She slowed down and walked into the kitchen, joining her mom's side. "Smell's great mom." She stepped forward and peeked into the over. She turned back to her mom, noticing Daoming Si behind her, leaning against the counter. "Where are we going for dinner?"

Daoming Si watched her with careful eyes as he lifted his head and smiled. "I've already had reservations made." He looked over at her mom and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You're going to love it."

She smiled up at him and nodded her head. "Why don't you two finish up here, and I'll go get ready." She clapped her hands in excitement and jogged out of the kitchen to her room.

Brielle shook her head and laughed. "I'm going to kill that woman." She kept her focus on the oven, watching the timer slowly count down.

Daoming Si wrapped his arms around her stomach and rested his head on her shoulder. "*Are you ever going to give me an answer?" He looked at her sideways, arching his brow.

Brielle rested her hands over his and smiled. "*Do we have to label it?" She asked, trying to keep her eyes on the timer.

He stood up straight and gripped her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "*Of course we do." He searched her eyes, then put his hand on top of her head. "*I'm not risking anyone else thinking they can take you from me."

Brielle smiled as she looked up at him, noticing how frazzled he was. She fought back the giggle in her throat and straightened her face. "*Can't I just reject guys like a normal person?" She asked, placing her hands on his forearms.

He suddenly gripped her chin and pinched her cheeks. "*I don't even want guys thinking they have a chance with you, let alone asking you out." He looked over her face before planting a quick kiss on her pinched lips. "*Be my girlfriend, and I promise you'll be happy."

Brielle pushed his hand off her face, and wrapped her arms around his waist, looking up into his eyes. "Okay."

"*Why do you have to be so-" His eyes quickly darted to her has her words sunk in. "*Wait, really?" She nodded as his shocked face turned into a smile. "*I thought I was going to have to fight you on that more." He held her closer to him, taking in a deep breath as he pushed her away so he could look back at her face. "*I'm not imagining this, am I?" He asked, pushing her hair out of her face.

Brielle shook her head and smiled. "*I'll be your girlfriend."

Daoming Si slid his arms under hers and wrapped them around her waist. Lifting her off the ground, he spun her around before setting her onto the counter. He gripped her face in his hands and pressed his lips against hers. Brielle felt her stomach flip with anxiety as his fingers trailed from her face to the back of her head and into her hair. Their lips parted and he pressed his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes. "*You have no idea how happy I am right now." He whispered, letting out a small laugh before pressing his lips against hers again.

Brielle set her hands on his hips and smiled up at him. Even though she sat on the counter, he still towered over her. He brushed his fingers over her cheeks as he watched her look back at him, a smile playing on his lips. Brielle reached a hand up and pressed it against his cheek, smiling as she copied his circular motions with her thimb.

"*You have no idea how scared I am right now." She whispered, trying to keep her voice level. She dropped her hands into her lap and leaned forward, pressing her face into his chest.

He ran his fingers through her hair, resting his head on top of hers. "*Why are you scared?" He asked, moving his hand from her hair to her back. She groaned into his chest, trying to avoid the question. "*Tell me."

She sat back up and looked up at him. "*I'm scared of liking you more than I do now." She let her eyes drop away from his as the anxiety built up in her. "I still feel like I'm going to open my eyes and be back in that hallway the first day." She took a deep breath and looked back up at him. "No matter what I do, I can't shake that feeling."

He grabbed her face and kissed her gently, their lips moving together in motion before parting. "*Please stop imagining that. You are here with me now. I promise that won't happen."

Just as Brielle looked back up at him, the timer on the oven chimed, sending her attention straight to the oven. She patted his chest and attempted to jump off the counter. "Their done."

Ah-Si chuckled and moved away, allowing her to jump down. Grabbing the oven mitts, he opened the oven and they both inhaled deeply before he reached in and removed the tin. Brielle quickly laid out a hand towel onto the counter and motioned for him to set them down on top.

"They look great!" Brielle's mom stepped into the kitchen, fastening an earring onto her ear. "Great job you two." She smirked looking over at Brielle. "Hurry and get changed. We don't want to be late."

Brielle quickly jogged down the hall and into her room, closing the door behind her. Looking at her closet, she searched for something acceptable for dinner. "I guess this could work." She pulled an old skirt off the hanger and continued looking for something to go with it. A small tap came to the door, then pushed open. Brielle looked over, noticing a black bag behind held out between the wall and door. She moved forward and took the bag, pulling open the door and looking up at a hand hiding a face. "*What is this?" She asked, removing his hand from his face.

He peaked at her as if she were naked, before noticing she was still clothed. "*I thought you might want something nice to wear."

Brielle bit the inside of her cheek and held the garment bag back out to him. "I don't need your charity." She joked, looking up and smiling.

"It's not charity." His face grew serious as he pushed the garment bag back towards her. "*Can't a boyfriend give his girlfriend nice gifts?"

She shook her head, trying to hide her smile. "*I've been your girlfriend for five minutes. When did you get me this?"

He clicked his tongue in frustration and waved his hand at her. "*That doesn't matter. Just get dressed so you don't embarrass me." He closed the door abruptly, stopping her from arguing back.

Brielle set the bag on the bed and unzipped the zipper, revealing a beautiful pale blue dress. Pulling the dress from the bag, she gasped, noticing the beautiful diamond beading around the neck and down the back where it zipped. She quickly removed her shirt and pants, and stepped into the dress, zipping up the back. Looking in the mirror on the dresser, she smiled at her reflection. Her hair fell in waves over her bare shoulders, hiding the beading along the zipper. Brielle quickly draped her hair over her shoulder so the back was exposed and pulled a lip gloss from her purse. She applied the lip gloss and moved to the door of the room, pausing as she looked down at the selection of shoes she had brought with her. Though they didn't match, she grabbed her black flats and pulled them over her feet, then headed into the living room.

"Oh Honey, you look beautiful." Her mom wrapped her harms around Brielle, then stepped back to admire the dress. "Where did you get this?" She asked running her fingers over the diamonds.

"I have great taste." Brielle spun around, her eyes falling over Daoming Si as he spoke the words. He wore a black button up shirt, tucked into his dark grey jeans, his hair combed back. In his hands, he held up a pair of nude heals and crossed the room. "*Sit." He pointed at the couch, his face emotionless.

Brielle glanced over at her mom before moving to the couch and sitting down. Ah-Si knelt down in front of her and lifted her foot onto his knee. He removed her flat and replaced it with the heal, strapping the clasp around her ankle. He set her foot back on the ground and looked up at her as he grabbed her other foot, and did the same. Once both shoes were on, he placed his hand on her bare knee and looked into her eyes, smirking.

"*Now that I'm your girlfriend, am I expected to change my wardrobe to match your standards?" She raised her eyebrows and she stood to her feet, and stepped away from him. Taking her mom's hand, she turned back to him and spoke again before he could answer. "Let's go, we don't want to be late." 

* * *

Brielle turned around in her seat and looked at her mom. Smiling, she reached out and took her hand. "Are you having a good birthday so far?" She asked, watching her mother's face brighten.

"One of the best birthdays I've ever had." Turning her attention to Ah-Si, she leaned forward and tapped his shoulder. "Where are you taking us?" She asked, hoping he would let her in on his secret.

He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes falling over Brielle. "Not telling." He smirked. "*But were close." He placed his hand on top of her moms and smiled. "Close your eyes." They both closed their eyes, and felt the car turn before it slowed to a stop. "Keep your eyes closed." The driver side door opened and closed, then Brielle's door opened. Daoming Si wrapped his fingers over her knee and leaned forward unlatching the seatbelt. After helping her from the car, he opened the back door and took her mother's hand, helping her to her feet. "Okay, open."

Brielle opened her eyes and gasped. Before them were the glass doors to the most lugubrious hotel in town. She immediately spun around, noticing the car being pulled away by the valet attendant. Her eyes fell to Daoming Si, his smug smile firmly painted on his face. "*This is too much." She shook her head, looking over at her mother who wore the same expression.

"I've never been here before." She gasped turning to face Ah-Si. "This is too expensive. I can't accept this from you."

Daoming Si stepped forward and rubbed her back. "Please." He motioned towards the door as they were pushed open by other valet attendants. "I've already paid them." He joked, looking over at Brielle and taking her hand. "*Only the best for you."

He pulled her towards the door, his hand still on her mother's back. "*Ah-Si, you don't have to do all this. Normally we just go to the buffet down the street." Brielle exclaimed, trying to pull her hand from his.

"You can show me that buffet the next time I come to visit." He smiled as he led the way through the hotel and towards the restaurant.

As they rounded the indoor fountain, Brielle was caught off guard by the line of servers at the entrance to greet them. In each hand they held a rose, extending it to her mother as they walked by. Brielle pulled at his hand, forcing his attention to her. "*Ah-Si, this is too much." She whispered, clutching onto his arm as they entered the dining area.

The lighting was low, casting a somber ambience over the room. Brielle noticed only a few tables were occupied by guests dressed in suits and gowns. They followed a host through the restraint and up a flight of stairs to the balcony. Along the balcony doors hung a reserved sign that the host removed as she opened the doors and motioned for them to proceed to the table.

Daoming Si released Brielle's hand and pulled out the chair for her mother. "Did I do okay?" He asked as she sat in the chair.

She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. "I feel like I'm being proposed to." She joked, looking back to their surroundings and taking in the view of the mountains around them.

Ah-Si pulled out Brielle's chair and nodded for her to sit beside him. Brielle took in a deep breath and sat in the chair, looking up at him as he pushed in her chair, then kissed her forehead. "Order whatever you want." He said as he took his seat beside Brielle, placing his hand on her knee.

Brielle looked over at her mom, whose eyes were beaming with happiness. She smiled, then picked up the menu and scanned over the items. "Twenty dollars for a salad?" She choked out the words looking over at Daoming Si. "Forty Five Dollar pasta?"

"*Have you forgotten I'm paying tonight?" He asked, raising his eyebrow in confusion. "The lobster looks delicious." He said, pointing at the seventy-five dollar lobster option. Snapping his fingers, a small waiter approached the table and filled their wine glasses. As he reached out to Brielle's, Daoming Si picked up the glass and set it away from her. "She's not of age." He took his own glass and held it out to be filled.

Brielle narrowed her eyes at him as she picked up her water glass and took a drink. "Mom, do you want to split a salad?" Brielle asked turning her attention to her mother.

The menu was suddenly taken from her hands, and Brielle spun around in her seat to see Daoming Si looking at her with his eyebrows raised. "*If you don't select something you like, I will order for you like a child." He smirked and tauntingly set the menu back in her hands.

Brielle snatched the menu back from him and smirked. Looking up at the waiter, she smiled and waved her hand, motioning him towards her. "We're ready." As the waiter approached, she glared back at Daoming Si before continuing. "I want to order the lobster and Steak, Medium rare, with a side of red potatoes." She skimmed through the menu again, "The chicken fettuccini, the house salad with a side of Italian dressing, and the salmon with a side of veggies." She handed the menu to the waiter and looked back at Ah-Si. "What will you two be eating?"

Daoming Si's lips parted in a smile as he watched her carefully. Handing the menu to the waiter but keeping his eyes locked on her, he cleared his throat and clicked his tongue. "I'll have the same."

Brielle raised his eyebrows and sat back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. "*You're ridiculous." She looked at her mother and smiled.

Her mother smiled and set down her menu. "Can I have the New York steak with a side salad and the steamed veggies?" She folded her menu and handed it to the waiter.

As the waiter stepped away, Daoming Si stood from his seat and adjusted his shirt. "I'll be right back." He nodded to the table before turning to head back inside.

Brielle shook her head then looked back to her mother. "He's annoying." She whispered, sitting up straight as a laugh escaped her.

"He's a sweet heart. You're the one that took advantage of his kindness." She smiled as she joked with her daughter.

"He's the one who told me to order like an adult. So I did." She leaned in closer to her mom and laughed. "I will be needing a lot of to-go boxes."

They both sat up straight as they heard the door to the balcony open and Daoming Si took his seat. Picking up his wine glass, he took a sip then looked over at the two. The moment his glass hit the table, the sound of music began to play behind them. Brielle and her mother spun around in their seats to see a small group of people playing instruments. Brielle smiled as the violinist played a beautiful song, accompanied by a pianist and harp.

She looked back at Doming Si, surprised as her smile stretched across her face. "*Did you plan this?" She asked, just loud enough for his to hear.

He smirked and extended his hand to her. "*Dance with me?" He asked, rising from his chair and bending down as if he were bowing.

Brielle quickly looked at her mom, embarrassed and trying to hide her burning face. She felt his fingers brush hers and quickly looked up at him, drawing her hand back. "I'm not dancing." She laughed at the thought of what she would look like trying to dance.

He smirked as he gripped her fingers in his. "*Please dance with me." He gently pulled on her hand, trying to bring her to her feet. "*I promise to protect you."

Brielle relaxed her hand in his and rolled her eyes as she stood from her chair and followed him to the balcony edge. Ah-Si placed one hand in hers and another on the small of her back and pulled her body against his. Brielle looked up at him as he moved her body with his, their eyes locked on each other. "*I'm mad at you." She said playfully as she gripped his shoulder.

He laughed and looked away, trying to compose himself. "*Why are you mad at me?" His arm wrapped tighter around her back holding her close enough to feel each other's heartbeat. He looked down at her, his smirk teasing her. "*How could you be mad at me after everything I've done for your mother?"

Brielle looked away from him and pressed her head against his chest. "*It's too much. I have nothing to give back to you." She took a deep breath and rested her head onto his chest. She hated feeling like she was taking advantage of him. From everyone's words back at school, she was afraid they would judge her and mock her some more. The feeling of not being able to reciprocate his gifts made her feel uneasy and sick. "*I could never do something like this for you."

He slowed down and kissed the top of her head. "*I don't ask for you to." He spoke softly against her hair. "*All I ask from you is to be here beside me and enjoy it."

Brielle smiled and looked up at him, catching his eyes. "*Can you just promise not to do anything this crazy again?"

He smiled and shook his head. "*No."

Brielle tightened her jaw as she fought back her smile. Catching her mother watching them out of the corner of her eyes, she tapped his shoulder and looked away. "*You should ask my mom if she wants to dance." She smiled back up at him, watching his smile fall with confusion.

"*Should I?" He asked, glancing over at her mom sitting quietly at the table.

Brielle nodded. "*I think she would really love it."

Daoming Si kissed her forehead before stepping away and approaching her mom. Extending his hand to her, he bowed and smiled. "May I have this dance?" He asked, smiling back at Brielle before looking back at her mom.

She smiled, accepted his hand, and rose from her chair. "I would be happy to."

Brielle moved from the spot her and Daoming Si had been dancing and watched them as they moved to the music. Her mom smiled as Daoming Si placed his hand on her upper back and moved to the music. Although she was unable to hear them past the music, she could tell they were talking about her as their eyes darted back and forth between her and each other, Ah-Si at one point laughing out loud at something she said.

Brielle moved back to the table and sat down, grabbing Daoming Si's wine glass and taking a drink. Setting the empty glass back in place, she looked back at her mom, taking in her excitement and happiness. This was the happiest her mother ever looked in the past five years since her father passed away, and the thought of it all gave her goosebumps. She sat back in her chair and looked over her shoulder as the servers began entering the balcony and carrying their food. "Food's here!" She called over to her mom and Ah-Si, who stopped dancing when they heard her and made their way back to the table.

As Daoming Si sat back down, he waved at one of the servers and motioned for him to come closer. "Can I get a few take out boxes?" He asked, looking over at Brielle as he spoke.

Brielle scrunched her nose and laughed as she picked up her fork and stabbed one of the potato slices. Staring him down, she took a bite and froze as the flavor melted on her taste buds. She dropped her fork back on the plate and covered her mouth, her eyes widening in excitement. "No wonder this place is so expensive." She gasped, as she watched him take a bit of his potato's.

Nodding, he smiled up at her. "It is very good."

They both looked over at her mom, who took a bit of her food and smiled. "This is already the best meal I've ever had."


	6. Chapter 6

Brielle huddled beside her mom as they waited for the car to be pulled around. Though she had been fine earlier, the ice cream now settling in her stomach sent chills over her entire body. She glanced behind her as Ah-Si walked through the doors and joined her side. "*Are you cold?" He asked, raising his brows in concern.

Brielle nodded, trying to keep her jaw from chattering. "I'll be fine once we get in the car." She tried to give him a reassuring smile. "I shouldn't have had that ice cream." She joked, brushing her hair from her face as the wind picked up.

The car pulled up before them, and the valet rushed to open their doors. As Brielle climbed back in the front, Daoming Si went to the back and opened the trunk, pulling out a trench coat he had left in there. "Here," He jogged around the car and draped the jacket over her shoulders, adjusting it so it covered her legs. Reaching across her, he hit the seat warmer button then looked back at her. "Better?" He asked, brushing a hair out of her face.

Brielle nodded. "Much better." His fingers paused on her cheek for a moment before he leaned away and shut the door. Brielle turned to her mom in the back seat and smiled. "Did you have a good birthday, mom?" She asked.

She smiled and nodded, her eyes heavy. "It was perfect."

The driver door opened and Daoming Si sat down and shut the door. "One last surprise, then I promise to take you home for sleep."

Brielle's eyes snapped on him. "No more. Let's just go home." She pulled her arms from the jacket and turned back in the seat so she could face him. "We're exhausted."

Ah-Si reached over and pulled the jacket back over her shoulders. "*I promise to make it quick. 10 minutes tops."

Brielle narrowed her eyes at him but sat back in her seat. "Fine." Looking back at her mom, she smiled. "*What are you planning now?" She asked him, watching her mother's face twist as she tried to figure out what was being said.

Daoming Si smiled as he pulled the car out of the driveway and onto the road. "*What kind of birthday doesn't have birthday candles?" He blew on her face as though she were the candle, winked, and then placed his free hand on top of hers through the jacket.

Brielle pursed her lips. "Fine. Let's go."

* * *

Brielle gripped Daoming Si's arm as they exited the store, his free hand balancing a box of cookies and the candles they had just bought for her mom. Brielle smiled up at him as she released his arm and stretched on her toes, trying to see the design on the box.

"*Hey, hey, be patient." He joked, lifting the box higher so she couldn't see. He smiled down at her as she scrunched her nose. "*You have to wait just like your mom."

Brielle pouted her lip as she looked back to the parking lot, stopping as she noticed a group of men near their car. The men all dressed in black, with hoods pulled over their heads. Brielle grabbed Daoming Si's sleeve and pulled him to her side, afraid to move any further. "Ah-Si. Look." She pointed to the car as one of the men approached the car and tapped on the window. Before she could think of what to do, her feet moved towards the car.

Before she could reach the car, Ah-Si grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Without saying a work, he handed her the items in his hand and jogged the rest of the way to the car. "May I help you gentleman?" He asked, looking over at the two men behind the first.

The first guy looked up and flashed a grin. "Hey man! This your car?" He asked, tapping on the window.

Ah-Si fixed his jacket, his face calm and emotionless. "It is." He was sharp and abrupt. He crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow.

Brielle walked to the other side of the car, and set the box down in the back seat. "Are you okay mom?" She asked, looking behind her as she noticed another man step out from behind a car.

Nodding her head, her mother sat up straight in the seat. "They came out of nowhere and started looking at the car." She said, gripping her daughter's hand.

Brielle looked back at the man behind her, noticing he was carrying a bat. "*Ah-Si, behind me. We need to go." She tried to remain calm, but the panic escaped in her voice.

Daoming Si looked over his shoulder, noticing the man approaching them. "*Brielle, get in the car now and lock the door." Brielle did as he asked and climbed into the front seat, locking the door.

"What did you just say?" The guy asked, pushing at Ah-Si's chest.

Daoming Si's face went dark as he looked back at the man in front of him. His stern eyes looked down at the finger on his chest, his lips pressing into a hard line. Ah-Si made eye contact with the man, looking down at him as he lifted his clenched fist and wrapped his fingers around the man's wrist. As he clenched his jaw, his head shook slightly from the rage building inside.

"I said," Daoming Si's voice was rigid and tense as he pried the hand off his body and held it out to the side. The man's face twisted with pain as he reached up and tried to free his hand. "I hate thugs." He released his hand, and ducked down just at a bat swung at his head.

Ah-Si quickly spun around and gripped the bat, pulling it from the man's hands and tossed it over the car. Gripping his wrist, he pulled the man closer and punched him in the face, sending the man's body to the ground. Ah-Si quickly spun around and lifted his foot just as another man charged at him. His foot collided with the man's chest, causing him to fall backwards and land on his back. Ah-Si looked around at the three men on the ground, watching as they slowly climbed back to their feet. His dark eyes scanned back over the man who had first confronted him. "Are we done here?" He asked sarcastically, clenching his fists by his side as he watched the others steady themselves.

One of the men drew out a knife and stepped forward, pointing the knife at Ah-Si. "You fucker!" He shouted running at Daoming Si and yelling.

Ah-Si dodged the knife and reflexively gripped the man's wrist, wrapping it behind his back and tightening his grip until the man dropped the knife. As the metal hit the cement, Ah-Si pulled tighter and a loud crack sounded through the parking lot. He pressed his foot against the man's back, and forced his body to the ground. He dropped the man's hand, then reached down and collected the knife off the ground. He held it up and examined it before folding it up and tucking it into his coat pocket. With an emotionless look on his face, he turned from the men and opened the driver door. Looking back over his shoulder, he made eye contact with each of the men who stood motionless in shock. Without saying a word, Ah-Si sat in the driver seat and shut the door behind him, starting the car and pulling out of the space.

Brielle watched him carefully, her eyes wide with fright. He exhaled deeply as he turned the car onto the main road, as if he had been holding his breath the entire time. Brielle reached over and placed her hand lightly on his shoulder, feeling him flinch lightly at her touch. He glanced over at her quickly then back to the road as he took in a deep and wavered breath.

He looked up into the rearview mirror and softened his face. "You okay mom?" He asked, placing a cold hand on top of Brielle's and rubbing his thumb over her skin.

"Are you?" She replied, looking into his eyes through the mirror.

He smiled back at her and nodded. "Nothing I can't handle." He reassured, looking over at Brielle and dropping his smile. "Are you okay?" He asked, looking back to the road.

She squeezed his shoulder and nodded. "I'm okay."

He removed her hand from his shoulder and brought it up to his lips, kissing her fingers. Brielle looked back at her mom as he laced his fingers with hers and held them against her leg. Her mom smiled and looked out the window as a light tap of rain began to fall from the sky and hit the window.

* * *

Brielle felt exhausted as she squished herself into the couch, and brought her feet up on the coffee table. She looked up as her mom set her empty plate on the table and leaned back, resting into the cushions. She glanced over at Ah-Si who tapped his fork into the lump of frosting on his plate, his cupcake still intact as if he hadn't taken a single bite.

"I think I'm going to head to bed." Her mom said standing from the couch and collecting her plate. She placed her hand on Ah-Si and smiled down at him. "Thank you very much for tonight."

Daoming Si set his plate on the table and stood to his feet, collecting her plate from her hands. "Don't worry about cleaning up mom." He said, setting it back on the table. "I will take care of it."

She smiled up at him and patted his cheek. "Thank you Ah-Si." She looked down at her daughter and brushed back the hair on her head. "Thank you Honey."

Brielle stood from the couch and hugged her mom. After she disappeared into her room, she picked up the plates and turned to the kitchen. Daoming Si stood against the wall, staring intently at the ground with his arms folded over his chest. Brielle inhaled and stepped around the couch. "*I thought you were going to take care of the dishes." She joked, walking pass him into the kitchen. She set the plates in the sink and turned on the water. Ah-Si's large hand gripped her forearm and pulled her against his body. Brielle froze for a minute, then loosened as she felt his hot breath against her neck. She trailed her hand over his arm and smiled, the feeling of comfort filling her heart. "*I was just messing with you." She replied, trying to turn in his arms to look at him, but his arms hugged her tighter and kept her in place.

"*Don't move." He whispered into her neck, his lips touching her skin softly as he spoke. "Don't move." He released on of his hands and reached up to her face, turning her head and resting his forehead against hers. He kissed her nose and ran his thumb over her cheek. Taking a deep breath, he stood back up straight and spun her around so she could face him.

Brielle looked up at his downturned eyes, noticing the red veins clouding his vision. "Ah-Si? What's wrong?" She asked, reaching her hand up and pressing it against his cheek. He rested his hand into her palm and exhaled slowly.

He kissed her hand, then leaned forward and kissed her lips, gently as though she would break beneath him. "*I can't think straight around you." He whispered, pressing her back into the counter, and lacing his fingers together behind her neck. His thumbs traced her jaw line as he stared down at her. "*I can't begin to imagine what would have happened if I wasn't there tonight." He pressed his lips back to hers for a long soft kiss.

Brielle gripped his sides, and kissed him back. The thought of what might have happened tonight was still on her mind, but the thought of him not being there frightened her even more. She felt her body shake suddenly as she remembered the look on the men's faces, watching her mother through the windows. She clutched him tighter, parting her lips and deepening the kiss. She couldn't bear to be away from him, especially in this moment.

Ah-Si moved his hands to her waist and lifted her body, setting her down on top of the counter. His hand reached back up and gripped the back of her head, as his other gripped at her waist. His tongue entered her mouth, the kiss filling with tension. Brielle wrapped her legs around his waist, and clung to his neck, trying to be as close to him as possible.

Daoming Si pulled his head back and looked down at her, biting his lip. "*What are you doing to me?" He asked, running his thumb across her lips.

Before she could answer, he pulled her from the counter, and wrapped his arms around her hips to keep her legs around his waist. He reached over to shut off the water, then moved down the hallway, his lips skimming her neck as they moved through the house and down the hall. Ah-Si, opened her bedroom door and quickly shut it behind him. He turned around and pressed her back against the door, his hands gripping tightly at her hips. Brielle placed both hands on each side of his face and looked down into his eyes. Her heart beat against her chest as their eyes locked, her lips quivering from the passionant kiss.

"Thank you." She whispered, running her fingers up the side of his head and into his hair. "*Thank you for everything." She felt a tear run down her face as she continued to run her fingers through his hair.

Ah-Si reached up with one hand and wiped the tear from her cheek. He gently removed her legs from around his waist and set her back on the ground. "*Can I share your bed tonight?" He asked softly, pressing both hands on her hips.

Brielle nodded slowly, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down to her level. She looked into his eyes and smiled as she pressed her lips back to his. Lips still locked with his, she moved backwards towards the bed. Breaking the kiss for only a second, she climbed onto the bed and pulled him to her, laying on her back. Ah-Si wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close as his lips moved with hers, his free hand tangling into her kiss was soft yet passionate, their lips moving together as one. Ah-Si held her close in his arms, his hand trailing from her hair, down her back, and running over her hips. Brielle lifted her leg and draped it over his waist, allowing his hand to move back and forth from her hip to her thigh.

Brielle pulled her lips away and rested her forehead against his. She kept her eyes closed, and took in the moment of having him there in her arms. "*Can you believe three weeks ago you were pushing me against walls out of anger, and now you're doing it out of lust." She joked, opening her eyes and kissing the tip of his nose.

Ah-Si rolled over so his body was hovering over hers and forced both hands over her head. "*It was all a part of my master plan." He joked back, his lips tickling her collar bone as he trailed kisses along her skin.

Brielle bit her lip as a shutter ran through her body. She wanted him now more than ever. The feeling of his skin against hers sent an electric shock through her body with each gentle brush. Unable to control her movements, her hips pressed up against his body as her head fell back, giving into his kisses.

Ah-Si paused for a moment, pulling back and looking down at her, his expression surprised. As she pushed her hips up into him again, he released her hands and pressed his body against hers completely, his hands trailing down her body and his lips crashed against hers. His knees pressed into the mattress between her legs as his hand gripped the base of her dress and pulled it up towards her hips. Brielle wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling at his shirt as she wrapped both legs around his waist.

Ah-Si sat up suddenly and quickly unbuttoned his shirt, forcing it off his shoulders and dropping it onto the bed. He paused, looking down at Brielle below him and smiling as his fingers brushed along her thighs. "*You're beautiful." He whispered, leaning back down and burying his face into her neck. He groaned against her skin, as his hands pushed between her back and the mattress so he could hug her tightly in his arms.

Brielle kissed his cheek as she attempted to turn his head so she could see his face. "*Why did you stop?" She asked, trailing her fingers along his bare back.

Ah-Si leaned back so he could look down at her face. He pressed his lips against her forehead and rolled off her and onto the mattress. "*I promised you I would be a gentleman." He draped his arm over her eyes and exhaled. "*No matter how difficult."

Brielle sat up and looked down at him, his expression defeated. Smiling, she crawled on top of him and flattened her body against his, resting her head on his chest. Ah-Si hesitated for a moment before placing both hands on her back. Brielle snuggled into him, her heart skipping a beat as his fingers danced over the fabric of the dress, tickling her skin.

* * *

Brielle lugged her suitcase through the airport as she walked towards the exit. Ah-Si had left the next morning, leaving her to spend a few more days alone with her mother beofre heading back herself. She had not been able to sleep on the plane, and her body ached from the hard cramped seat she had been moved to last minute in coach instead of the first class Ah-Si had arranged for her. She stopped walking for a moment to catch her breath and pop her back.

"Bri!"

Brielle looked up from the ground to see four tall bodies moving towards her. She squinted, trying to make out their faces, then smiled when she recognized a familiar face. She exhaled as the relief of not having to drag her heavy suitcase anymore came to mind.

"*What are you doing here?" She asked, her eyes falling over all four boys before landing on Daoming Si.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "*V.I.P boyfriend services." He joked as he took a step back and collected the suitcase from her. "*Where is your other bag?" He asked, looking at her confused.

Brielle took a deep breath as she thought back to the baggage claim only ten minutes ago. "They lost it."

Daoming Si's eyes immediately snapped towards where luggage claim was, his eyes narrowing. "*Did you talk to them about it? How did they lose it?" He shifted his body as if he were going to go talk to them, but Brielle grabbed his arm and pulled him back in place.

"*They already have my contact information if they find it." She looked over at the three others beside him and smiled. "*He roped you three in to coming too?" She asked, noticing Lei's smile. She suddenly remembered their moment in the music room, and looked down before he could see her blushing face.

"*Ah-Si hasn't stopped talking about you since he got back, so we had to come support this new relationship of yours." Lei's eyes watched her carefully as his smile danced on his lips. "*How was your vacation?" He asked, stuffing his hands into his pants pockets and tilting his head slightly.

Brielle smiled up at Ah-Si and then the others. "*It was great!" She placed her hands on Ah-Si's forearm, trying to balance herself as butterflies crawled through her. "*My mom had a great birthday thanks to Daoming Si."

"Speaking of Birthdays," Mei Zuo smiled up at Daoming Si. "*Yours is next week, isn't it?"

Ah-Si smiled down at Brielle. "*You're coming aren't you?"

Brielle raised her eyebrows in surprise. "*No one told me."

"*You don't know your own boyfriends birthday?" Ximen joked, laughing and playfully hitting Daoming Si's shoulder. "*Abort mission my friend."

Brielle clung onto Daoming Si's arm and looked at the other three. "*Of course I'm going to be there!" She looked up at Ah-Si and pouted her lip. "*I wouldn't miss it."

Ah-Si smirked down at her and kissed her forehead. "*Good. You still owe me for what I did for your mom."

"*How cute." Ximen laughed and placed his hand on Ah-Si's shoulder. "*Come on, I'm hungry."

As they walked out of the airport, Brielle thought back to the first time she had ever seen the F4 guys. Their uninterested glances and cold, uninterested responses made her question how any girl could ever be interested in them. But now, they smiled and joked around with each other. Even Ah-Si seemed happier and easy-going. Brielle looked up at him and squeezed his hand, the butterflies filling up her chest with excitement.

* * *

The feeling of being back in the school hallways felt weird to Brielle. She had only been gone for a week, but it suddenly felt like a month as she watched other students pass by her. No one stared, thankfully, but she still felt like she was being talked about as she passed groups who whispered amongst themselves.

As she approached her locker, she took a breath of relief as her eyes fell over Shiuri. "*Thank goodness I found you." She laughed, wrapping her arms around the petite girl. "I missed your face." She joked, as she pulled out of the hug and turned to the locker.

Shiuri smiled and leaned on her locker, clutching her books in her hands. "How was your week off? Did you spend quality time with your mom?"

Brielle nodded as she opened the locker and sorted through her books. "My mom was really happy. We both needed to see each other."

"And Daoming Si?" Shiuri asked trying to contain her excitement. "He disappeared for a few days and rumors started spreading saying he went with you, while others are trying to spread that you kidnapped him." She laughed to herself.

Brielle laughed as the memory of Daoming Si sitting in her Living room that first day popped in her head. "That's ridiculous." Brielle pulled a book from the locker and stepped back as a small box fell from the locker and hit her foot. She bent down and picked up the box, smiling as she remembered the first time she had seen it. "Ah-Si and I are officially together now." She opened the box and pulled the necklace from the padding. "He showed up at my house because he believed I had gone home for good, and was going to bring me back." She unclasped the latch and wrapped the band around her neck.

Shiuri smiled as she admired the necklace. "So romantic."

Brielle set the clasp and touched the necklace as it sat just below the hallow of her neck. "He definitely has a sweet side."

"*Who has a sweet side?"

Brielle looked up and smiled as she saw Ah-Si approach, his hands stuffed into his coat pockets. "*You." She set the now empty box back in the locker and shut the door.

Daoming Si stood up straight and puffed his chest, trying to look buff. "*Me? Sweet?" He laughed, then straightened his face as he forced himself to look serious.

Brielle laughed and pushed at his chest. "*Okay tough boy. Calm down. I take it back."

Daoming Si smiled and wrapped his arm over her shoulders, resting his chin on the top of her head. "*Good. I can't have you ruining my reputation around here." He kissed the top of her head and looked back at Shiuri. "*Are you coming to the party?" He asked just as the three other boys joined their huddle.

Shiuri looked up Ah-Si and shook her head. "*What party?"

Daoming Si looked down at Brielle and clicked his tongue with disapproval. "*You didn't invite your only friend?" He asked, squeezing her tighter in his arms.

Brielle shrugged and looked up at Daoming Si. "*I didn't know I could." She replied, looking back to her friend. "*Are you free Friday night?"

Mei Zou wrapped his arm around Shiuri's shoulder and smiled down at her. "*I'm going to be so bored if you don't come."

Shiuri's cheeks burned red as she looked up at Mei Zou, his face inches from hers. "*What kind of party?" She stuttered, her eyes locked on Mei Zou.

Brielle pushed Mei Zou, his arm falling from Shiuri's shoulder. Brielle quickly replaced his arm with her own and pulled her friend out of the closing space they had formed around them. "Daoming Si's birthday is Friday and they are having a birthday party for him." She rubbed her friends shoulder trying to bring her attention away from Mei Zou who still watched her carefully. "*Will you be my date?" She asked, looking up at Daoming Si.

His nostrils flared as he stepped forward and took her hand, pulling her from Shiuri. "*You're supposed to be my date." He protested, wrapping his arms around hers so she couldn't move from his grasp. "*Let her be Mei Zou's date." He nodded to Mei Zou who stepped forward and wrapped his arm back around Shiuri.

He gave Brielle a smile that displayed he won, then looked back down at Shiuri. "*Will you be my date?" He raised his brows at Shiuri who nodded slowly as she looked back up at him.

"*I wanted to take Bri." Lei said out of the blue, calmly leaning against the lockers and looking up at Brielle. His sleepy eyes watched her as a small smile formed on his lips. Everyone suddenly froze in place as they watched him. His eyes shifted from Brielle to Ah-Si, his smile dropping back into his calming expression. "*Kidding." He said flatly, looking away from the group and walking away.

Brielle watched him carefully, remembering his words in the music hall again. _Why is he so difficult to read?_ She thought to herself just as he disappeared from view.

Her attention was suddenly shifted as Daoming Si spun her around in his arms and planted a kiss on her nose. "*I'll see you at my place on Friday at seven, okay?"

Brielle nodded back up at him, trailing her fingers around his sides until they met at his back. "*What should I wear?" She asked, locking her hands together and looking up at him.

He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "*Well," He whispered. "*If it were up to me," Brielle squeezed his stomach, catching his breath before he could finish the sentence. He coughed then looked down at her, fighting back his laugh. "*Just wear something nice." He said smiling down at her.

Brielle nodded and unwrapped her arms from around him. "*Okay." She looked down at her phone at the time. "I have to go or I'll be late for class." She tried to push herself from his grip.

Ah-Si held her tightly and leaned his head down, pressing a kiss to her lips.


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you for enjoying the story and leaving your comments! I promise to get back on schedule now that the Holidays are over and I can focus more on writing. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Leave a review and let me know of something you are excited to see, or even some predictions!

-Samantha

* * *

Brielle tugged at the hem of the pale blue dress as the car pulled into the driveway. She had gone shopping for a dress the day before the party, but couldn't find anything she thought Ah-Si would "approve" of. _Why do I care if I have his approval?_ She thought to herself as the car pulled up to the front of the large house.

"I'm nervous." Shiuri whispered as she looked up at the white mansion. "Do you think Mei Zou will like what I wore?" She asked brushing her hair off her shoulders.

Brielle looked over her friends outfit. She wore a black floral romper that swept the floor when she walked. The top of the garment cut open at the chest, revealing some cleavage before closing and wrapping around her neck in a choker strap. Brielle smiled at her friends new found fashion confidence. "You look stunning. How could he not like it?"

Shiuri smiled in appreciation. "Where did you get this?" She asked, her fingers admiring the diamonds along the neck of the dress.

Brielle tugged at the dress again. "Ah-Si got it for me." She suddenly felt embarrassed. "I wore it for my mom's birthday party." She exhaled. "*I feel so stupid."

Shiuri took her friends hands in hers and smiled. "You look great. He's going to think you're beautiful no matter what you wear." They both looked up as their doors opened for them. "Come on. Let's have some fun."

Brielle stepped out of the car and turned to thank the person who opened her door, and froze. "Lei?" She asked, looking at him dressed in a dark grey suit and floral tie. His eyes smiled down at her as he shut the door and extended his arm to her.

Brielle hesitated, then looped her arm in his. He looked at her through his bangs, his eyebrows raising as his gaze trailed over the dress then back to her. "*How did you manage to get your hands on a designer dress?" He asked, his subtle smile growing bigger.

Brielle froze at his words. "Designer?" She asked, looking down at the dress and running her fingers over the diamonds. She knew the dress was expensive, but she didn't expect it to be designer.

"Don't worry. You look great." He whispered, placing his free hand on top of hers.

Brielle felt her stomach flutter when his cold hand touched hers. She quickly looked away, and followed him into the mansion. "*Why is everyone so dressed up?" She asked, noticing more people throughout the house were all dressed in elegant eveningwear. She suddenly felt cheap in her short diamond studded dress. "*I thought there would only be one or two people I didn't know."

"*Daoming Si's birthday is more of a charity banquet than a birthday." Brielle looked up as Ximen joined her side and forcefully folded her hand into his arm. "*Important families donate items for auction, and all the proceeds go to local charities." He motioned his free hand to a large round table of presents.

Brielle raised her eyebrows, realizing she had forgotten to get him a present. "I didn't bring a gift." She immediately stopped walking and froze in place. "*I have to get a gift!" She tried to turn from their arms, but was held in place.

"*You being here is the only thing Ah-Si wants from you." Lei said, placing his free hand on her head. "*Calm down." He smiled down at her as he ruffled her hair, then removed his hand. Brielle looked up at him, noticing his expression seemed softer than usual.

Ximen pushed open the doors to the great hall, exposing the abundance of party guests all dressed as if they were at the royal wedding. Brielle's entire body tensed as she froze in place, still unable to move. "I can't go in there." She whispered, her fingers gripping around Lei and Ximen's jackets for support.

Lei pulled back his arm and wrapped it around her back, resting along her shoulder blades. Leaning down, he set his chin on her shoulder and looked out at the crowd. "*Don't be so scared." He whispered into her ear. "You look beautiful. Own it." Straightening his back, he pushed against her and forced her to enter the room.

Brielle looked around at the dangling white lights that hung from the ceiling. The room was decorated in white and grey, with a large buffet table and a tall chocolate fountain. At the far end of the room sat a small band that played classical music, each member dressed in black suites and gowns. Out of instinct, Brielle wrapped her arms around Lei's, and followed him towards a table near the bar. As they approached the table, Brielle noticed nametags on the plates, each reading the guests names in Chinese characters. She looked at the tags, noticing her name written in beautiful cursive. She placed her hands on the back of her chair and looked up at Lei. "*Where are you sitting?" She asked, noticing Shiuri and Ximen were placed on each side of her.

Lei pointed to the placemat beside Ximen. "*Don't worry. I'll be nearby." He smiled and walked over to his seat.

Brielle looked around the room again, dazzled by the elegance and beauty. Everyone appeared happy and content as they sipped their wine and discussed topics amongst themselves. Finally her eyes fell upon Daoming Si, his hair brushed back out of his face and wearing a black tux. He took a sip of his wine as he spoke with a slender girl, her dark hair cascading just at her hips. Brielle suddenly felt nauseous as she watched the exchange of words between them. She had never felt jealous before, but as the girl reached up and placed a hand on his arm, the emotions began to consume her. She quickly looked away and picked up the chilled wine glass before her.

Taking a sip, she looked over at Ximen as he sat beside her. "*Do you know where Sun Shiuri is?" She asked, swallowing back the rest of the drink.

Ximen shook his head. He looked different without his glasses; softer and charming. "*Last I saw she was dancing with Mei Zou." He raised his eyebrows in surprise as he noticed her wine glass empty. "*Nervous?" He asked, looking up from her and snapping his fingers to call over a butler.

Brielle watched the golden liquid refill her glass and looked up at the server. "*Thank you." She replied, taking a small drink then setting the glass back on the table. She looked back up at Ximen, noticing Lei was now watching her. "*I feel very out of place." She looked down at the short dress she wore, then back up at the gowns. "I feel," She pulled at the hem of the dress, trying to force it closer to her knees. "Slutty." She looked back up at the boys, their eyes watching her in amazement as they both fought back laughter.

Lei chuckled and quickly covered his mouth. Ximen reached out and smiled as he took a sip of his wine. "Slutty." He laughed and set down the glass. Looking back at her, he raised his brows. "*If you're a slut, I can't even imagine what I must be."

Brielle smiled, realizing how exaggerated and dramatic she was being. "*I mean, I feel so cheap compared to everyone else here." Her eyes darted back to the beautiful girl who stood beside Ah-Si, her ruby red dress perfectly synched around her and sweeping the floor.

Ximen leaned over and draped his arm over the back of her chair. "*See that couple over there?" He pointed to a larger man in a grey suite and a woman in a silver sequined dress. "*His suite is made with cheap fabric and only cost sixty dollars, and she wears that dress to every event for the past three years." He pointed to another group of men who huddled around the bar. "They all rented their suits and are using their boss's card to pay for it."

Brielle looked up at him, shocked. "How do you know all that?" She asked, looking back at the group who were obviously already drunk.

He smirked and sat back up. "*I have an eye for the finer things in life." He winked as he reached out and picked up his glass.

Before Brielle could react, Ximen stood from his chair and walked from the table. Brielle watched as he joined a small group of girls, their eyes scanning over every inch of him as he approached. Brielle shook her head and looked back to Lei. "*Is this what his birthday is always like?" She asked, her fingers playing with the stem of the glass of wine.

"*Ah-Si has had these parties since he was a young teen." He said, picking up his glass and taking a sip. "*After the party, we all usually have our own private gathering at Ximen or Mei Zou's house."

"*She's here." Mei Zou appeared out of nowhere and sat beside Lei. Brielle looked to her side and smiled as Shiuri sat in her seat, her eyes wide with excitement.

"*Who's here?" Brielle asked looking back to Lei and Mei Zou.

Lei set his wine glass down and swallowed hard. "*You're going to scare her." He said flatly, looking sideways at Mei Zou with a straight face.

"*She should know, right?" Mei Zou said, his eyes falling over Brielle.

Lei fidgeted with his wine glass as he thought about what to say next. After a moment of silence, he turned and looked at Brielle. "*Daoming Feng. Ah-Si's mother."

Brielle felt her heart drop. From what she had learned from Shiuri, his mother was never around due to working in London. She hadn't thought about having to meet his mother tonight. When she was in town, everyone was on edge, afraid to make any mistakes. She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. "*She's not as scary as people say, right?" She asked, looking up at both boys.

Both boys watched her, then looked at each other, before turning back to her. Lei drank the remainder of his wine, then sat up straight. "*Ah-Si, how is your mom tonight?" He kept his eyes fixated on the empty wine glass, his voice low.

"*Is she here?" Came a deep voice from behind her. Brielle quickly looked up, seeing Daoming Si standing beside her. He looked down at Brielle and smiled. Looking back at the boys, he took a drink of his wine. "*I haven't seen her yet today." He continued. "*My guess is she will be her usual cheery self."

Brielle couldn't help but hear the sarcasm in his voice. She quickly reached out for the glass of wine and took a drink.

Daoming Si sat down in Ximen's seat and placed his hand on her knee. "There is no need to worry. My mom most likely won't even notice you're here." He sat up straight and looked over at Lei. "*She's too busy making business deals during the whole party to even notice _me_." He took a drink of his wine and looked over at Brielle. His eyes were heavy, as if he lacked sleep. "You look beautiful." He smiled at her as he brushed her hair behind her ear.

"*I feel very under dressed." She replied looking away from him. "Everyone here looks amazing." She scanned the room and noticed that the girl Ah-Si had been talking to was now staring at them. She narrowed her eyes and lifted her head when they made eye contact. Brielle quickly looked away and back at Daoming Si. "*I wasn't expecting this many people."

Ah-Si Looked around and smiled. "*This year has had a better turn out." He took a sip of his wine. "*Lots of families kissing up to my mom and the Daoming Group." He looked back at her and touched his finger to her nose. "*Just give me one more hour and I promise we will leave and go have some real fun." He leaned forward and kissed the top of her head, then stood and left the table.

Feeling her stomach grumble, Brielle relaxed back in her seat and looked over at Lei, his eyes already watching her. "*Anything to eat around here?" She joked, looking around the table. As if on que, a white plate was placed in front of her with what appeared to be salmon on a bed of rice. Brielle thanked the waiter and sat closer to the table, picking up her fork and separating the fish.

"*Salmons a little dry." Mei Zou muttered as he stood with his plate and headed towards the kitchen.

Brielle took a bite and smiled. Though it wasn't as good at the restaurant back home, the flavor still sent goosebumps down her arms. "This tastes amazing." Brielle took another bite.

"*Careful. We wouldn't want you to choke." Brielle looked up at the mysterious voice beside her and froze realizing it was the girl Ah-Si had been talking to. "*May I sit?" She asked, gesturing to the empty chair.

Brielle looked over at Lei, then nodded. She quickly grabbed her napkin and dabbed her face. "*I apologize." Brielle looked up at the beautiful girl as she gracefully sat in the seat and turned to Lei.

She smiled and nodded to him. "*How are you Lei?" She asked, placing her hand on the table and looking up at him. "*I feel like it's been years since we last saw each other."

He calmly glanced over at her then looked at Brielle. "*It has." His voice was dry as he took a sip of his wine, then stood from the table and walked away.

The girl turned back to Brielle and smiled. "*We haven't been properly introduced yet." She extended her hand. "*I'm Xiao Zi."

Brielle shook her hand carefully and smiled back. "Brielle." She looked over her shoulder for Shiuri but realized she had disappeared and immediacy looking into the crowd, trying to figure out where Lei or anyone else she knew had disappeared to. She hated meeting new people, and it didn't help that she was surrounded by so many people she didn't know.

"*So how do you know Daoming Si?" She asked, resting her chin on both of her hands and looking up at Brielle with curious eyes.

Brielle swallowed back the lump forming in her throat and put on a brave smile. "We're friends from school." She kept her voice calm even though her heart was racing.

Xiao Zi raised her eyebrows in suspicion. "*Just friends?" She laughed and covered her mouth. "*I've never seen him interact with anyone other and F4." She narrowed her eyes. "*What makes you so special to join their group?"

Brielle shook her head confused. "*There's nothing special." She began asking herself the same question. Why did Daoming Si like her so much?

"*Your family must be really important then." She nodded her head as though she were answering her own question. "*A business marriage can be very exciting if it's with a guy that looks like Daoming Si."

Brielle shook her head. "*My family owns a company in America, but it's nothing compared to the Daoming Group." She replied, thinking about the business her father started. "*And, it's not like that with Ah-Si."

Xiao Zi's face twisted in confusion as she looked down at Brielle's dress. "*You're on first name basis?" She clicked her tongue. "*Are you a gold digger?" She asked, her brow furrowing.

"*Excuse me Xiao Zi, but you're in my seat." Ximen's voice was soft as he placed a hand on the chair and looked down at her over his glass of wine.

Xiao Zi turned in her chair and batted her eyes up at Ximen. "*Come on Ximen. Why don't you come sit next to me?" She patted Lei's spot beside her.

Ximen smiled down at her calmly, and stepped sideways. "*I believe you are at the wrong table. Yours's over there, isn't it?" He took a sip of his wine, then cocked his head.

Xiao Zi rolled her eyes and stood from the chair. "*So grumpy." Without excusing herself, she walked away from the table and disappeared into a group of women.

Ximen sat in his seat and placed his hand on Brielle's shoulder. "*Don't listen to her." He reassured. "*She's an entitled brat that doesn't like competition."

Brielle looked up at Ximen and tried to smile. "*Competition?"

Ximen nodded. "*She's been trying to join the Daoming family since we were in grade school." He rolled his eyes and laughed.

Brielle scoffed and pushed her food away. "*I need some fresh air." She stood from the table, but Ximen grabbed her hand.

He looked up at her with a worried face. "*Do you need me to come with you?" He asked, rising from his seat.

Brielle shook her head. "*I'm fine. I just need a minute to myself." She smiled down at him, and pulled her hand free. "*I'll be right back."

She turned from the table and moved through the crowd, trying not to trip over her own heals as she did so. As she left the large room, she turned and noticed the gift table was fuller now, stacked with presents. She cocked her head to the side, and moved towards the table. As she approached, she noticed a box opened and displaying a beautiful sapphire necklace. Beside the necklace was a sticker reading it was worth over $100,000. Brielle gasped and turned from the table quickly. There was no way in hell she could ever offer something that would be worth anywhere near that amount.

As she passed back by the entrance to the party, she looked in and noticed Shiuri back on the dance floor with Mei Zou. They both smiled at each other as their bodies moved to the music. Brielle scanned the room unable to see any of the others she recognized. She looked towards the front door, trying to talk herself into going back to the party. But all she wanted was to head straight home. Gathering her strength, she stepped back into the party looked around the room for a familiar face.

As her eyes landed on Lei, she took a step forward, only to trip over something in the way. She reached out in front of her, trying to gather her balance, but fell into a table, knocking the contents onto the ground, followed by a loud crash as wine glassed shattered against the floor. Brielle landed on the floor and immediately cradled her damaged hand against her body. The cast had just been removed that morning, and was still healing.

She remained frozen on the ground, terrified to look up at the millions of eyes she knew were on her. She suddenly felt two large hands grip her shoulders, then move down to her hand. She looked up, noticing Lei before her, examining her wrist.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking back up at her.

Brielle suddenly felt all the eyes on her. She looked from Lei to the crowd of people who had formed around them, her lips trembling with fright.

"*Excuse me." Came a softer voice from behind her.

Brielle spun around to see two guards standing before a smaller woman. The woman was much older than her, with short black hair that came to her shoulders. She wore a silver gown, simple yet elegant at the same time. Lei immediately jumped to his feet, pulling Brielle up with him. He bowed to the woman, and Brielle followed his actions, quickly bowing in respect.

"Brielle!" Brielle shot up straight and looked towards where her name was called. Daoming Si pushed through the crowd of people and joined her side, checking her body for injury. "Are you okay?" He asked, looking down at her injured wrist.

Brielle brushed his hands off of her and tried to collect herself. "I'm fine, I'm fine."

"*Ah-Si?" The woman voice was cold as she spoke. Daoming Si turned around and faced the woman. She raised her eyebrow as his arm settled on Brielle's back. "*Who is this girl?" She asked, pursing her lips as she spoke.

Daoming Si looked down at Brielle, then back to the woman. "*Mother, this is my girlfriend, Brielle." He straightened his back with confidence as his fingers gently massaged her back with reassurance. .

She tilted her head and looked at Brielle, her stare colder then Ah-Si's. She turned her head and looked at one of the guards. "*See to it that she is removed from this house, immediately." Her eyes fell back over Brielle and Ah-Si.

Daoming Si gripped Brielle's side and pulled her tighter. "*She is not leaving." He replied as one of the guards stepped forward. "*She is my guest here."

Brielle looked over as Ximen, Mei Zou and Shiuri joined the front of the crowd and stood beside Lei. Each of them wore a look that made Brielle's stomach flop in fear. She quickly looked back at Ah-Si's mother and bowed her head in respect. "*My apologies ma'am." She felt her voice quiver as the anxiety filled her. "*I will leave right away."

She tried to step forward, but was pulled back by Ah-Si. "*If she goes, then I go." He looked his mother directly in the eyes, his face strong with determination. Brielle shook her head and tried to pry herself from Ah-Si's grip.

Daoming Feng took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes at her son. "*Now is not the time to defy me Ah-Si." She looked over at Brielle and took a step forward. "*The Daoming Group is no place for a common girl like yourself. I don't know what Ah-Si had planned by using you today, but it did not work."

"*Mother." Ah-Si's voice was low as his eyes grew dark. "*Enough."

Daoming Feng ignored her son and took another step forward. "*Please see yourself out." She stayed in place, waiting for Brielle to make the next move.

Suddenly, Daoming Si's hand was laced with hers as he pulled her towards the exit. Brielle looked up at him as he led her from the party, his face hard with anger. As they entered the corridor, she fought to free her hand from his but his fingers gripped tighter as he opened the front doors and pulled her towards a parked car.

"*Ah-Si." She tried to pry her fingers free, glancing over her shoulder to see the others following behind them. "*Ah-Si please stop, it hurts."

Daoming Si immediately stopped and released her hand. He turned to face her, cupping her face in his hands and pressing his lips to hers. "Don't listen to her." He whispered as their lips parted. Releasing her, he pulled a set of keys from his pocket and looked over her towards the others. "*Let's go to Ximen's." He shouted across the driveway. Brielle spun around to see the others stepping out of the house behind them, their faces blank with emotion as they pulled on their coats and walked towards their cars. Brielle made eye contact with Shiuri who stared at her with big round eyes, full of concern.

Daoming Si gripped Brielle's arm and pulled her back to his car.


	8. Chapter 8

Laughter erupted as the group joked about some inside joke from when they were teens. Brielle was so distracted in her own head she only caught the part about Daoming Si's fighting days. She tightened the blanket around her body and looked up at Ah-Si. He had removed his jacket and draped his tie around his shoulders, now holding a beer in his hand. His laugh bellowed through the room as Mei Zou made a joke about his hair.

Brielle looked down at her hands, trying to keep her mind from leaving the party. But every time she blinked, she was back on the floor at the party and looking up at Daoming Feng. Her words ringing in her ears;

 _"*The Daoming Group is no place for a common girl like yourself. I don't know what Ah-Si had planned by using you today, but it did not work."_

She was right. Brielle didn't know the first thing about the kind of business Daoming group was a part of. How could she be with someone of his stature and not keep up? Brielle stood from the couch and placed her hand on Ah-Si's shoulder. "I'm going to make a quick call to my mom and get some fresh air." She whispered, kissing his cheek.

He placed his hand on top of hers and looked up. "*Do you want me to come with you?" He asked, setting down his beer and rising to his feet.

She pushed at his shoulder and shook her head. "*No, no." She patted his shoulder as he sat back in the chair. "I just need to be alone for a minute." She gave him a faint smile and turned from the group.

She pulled the jacket Ah-Si had given her as she stepped out into the cold night air. The icy breeze numbed her cheeks and pinched at her nose. Brielle gripped her hands tightly around the phone as she dialed her mother, then held the phone to her ear. The phone rang then went straight to voicemail. Brielle pulled the phone from her ear and looked down, ending the call, then dialing again. Once more, no answer.

"*Are you okay?" Brielle looked up to see Ximen standing at the gate entrance of his home. The moment they locked eyes, he stepped onto the road and quickly wrapped her in his arms. Brielle froze as her damp cheek pressed against his chest, the realization that she had been crying hitting her. "*What's wrong?" He asked, his voice echoing within his chest.

Brielle allowed her fists to rest against his stomach, as the tears flowed from her eyes. She wanted to say something, but didn't know how to put her feelings into words. Every time she opened her mouth to say something, the words were choked back as the crying grew stronger. "I just," She gripped her fingers around his jacket and buried her face into the fabric. "This isn't right."

Ximen rested his hand on her head, unsure of how to calm her down. Most of the time, he didn't care when a girl cried. But seeing her like this now, and feeling her in his arms, made his heart drop. He brushed his fingers through her hair and thought of the words he wanted to say next. "Is it because of what happened at the party?" He asked, trying to make his voice sound sincere through his awkwardness.

Brielle leaned out of his chest and wiped her face. She took a few deep breathes as she tried to center her mind on the words she wanted to say. "It's everything. His mom, the kids at school." She sniffled and rubbed her eyes. "It's like everything is against us being together. And I'm starting to doubt if being with him is the right thing." She reached out and wiped her hand against his jacket, trying to clean up the mess she had caused. "I got your jacket all snotty." She laughed in a response to her own embarrassment.

He smiled and gently brushed her hands off. "*I think it makes me look softer." He pressed his hand to her cheek. "What are you thinking?" He asked, his face dropping back into his soft expression.

Brielle swallowed back the lump in her throat and sniffled. "I don't know." She shrugged her shoulders. "*His mother hates me, and everyone at school has voiced their opinion of me very clearly." She looked down at the damp pavement and stared at the street light reflections. "Maybe their right? Maybe Daoming Si and I aren't good together. I'm just holding him back and distracting him from his future that he's been working so hard towards."

"*What are you going to do?" He asked, dropping his hand from her face and stuffing it into his jacket pockets.

Brielle shook her head and looked up at him. "How do I tell him?" She asked gripping onto the ends of the sleeves on her jacket and biting her bottom lip.

"*You don't have to."

They both spun around to see Ah-Si standing at the gate. He clenched his jaw as his dark eyes narrowed at Brielle. She froze in place, wanting to run to him, but couldn't move. "Ah-Si," Before she could continue, he turned from them and walked in the opposite direction, the lights on his car flashing as he unlocked the doors. "Ah-Si!" She stumbled forward as he swiftly climbed into the car and started the engine. "Ah-Si!" She screamed as the car jolted then pulled around them and drove off. Brielle felt her body go numb as she watched the car disappear. "*Ximen," Her body shook as she turned to him and stared into his eyes. "Ximen, what just happened?"

Ximen wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him, supporting her weight as she went limp. "*I think you just broke up with him."

* * *

Brielle watched her feet dangle off the balcony, the chilled winter air sending goose bumps across her bare legs. The lights from the town below danced as though they were aligned with music. She suddenly felt her phone buzz and picked it up, her eyes big with worry as she looked down at the words on the screen.

"*Is that him?" Came Lei's voice as he joined her side.

Brielle shook her head, feeling defeated. "*No, just a Weibo update." She set the phone back down on the cement and looked up at him. "*He's going to call, right?" She asked, her eyes searching his for an answer.

Lei shrugged his shoulders and looked out at the view. "*Ah-Si can be very difficult to read." His voice was calm, like always as he draped his arms over the railing and looked at the trees below.

Out of instinct, Brielle rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. "*I didn't mean to hurt him, Lei."

"*How did you expect him to react to being dumped?"

"But I didn't," Brielle sat up and clutched onto the railing and took in a deep breath. "*What was I supposed to do?" She asked, looking up at him again. "*His mother hates me. I can't come between him and everything his family has worked for. Why should our little relationship stop the growth of his company?" She swallowed back a lump in her throat and blinked back the tears fighting to escape. "Why would he even choose someone like me over his family?"

His eyes finally met hers. For the first time, Brielle saw something she had never seen from him before. His brow was furrowed, and his eyes were sharp as though he were upset. He had never appeared more than calm or relaxed, but right now, he seemed mad. "*Because you are worth fighting for." A small smile fought on his lips as he shook his head in frustration. "*His mother doesn't know you, and refuses to see what is so special about you, what Ah-Si sees," He leaned in and pressed his hand to her cheek. "*What I see."

"*Lei?" She closed her eye, feeling safe. She let him cradle her head, feeling relaxed and calm for the first time. "I don't know what to do." She whispered, lifting her head and looking back up at him.

His eyes fell over hers as his hand reached back up and gripped the back of her neck. He searched her eyes, as though he were arguing with himself. "*Ah-Si is an idiot if he lets you go so easily." He suddenly stood to his feet and stepped away from the balcony.

Brielle watched as he entered Ximen's house, then turned and looked back at the beautiful lights of the city again. She pressed her hand to her cheek, the warmth from Lei's fingers still on her skin. Her touchd trailed down her neck and pressed against the necklace on her chest. Closing her eyes, she allowed a tear to fall down her cheek before wiping it away.

* * *

Brielle pressed her back against the lockers and scanned the hallway. Daoming Si had ignored her calls all weekend and hadn't been to school in the last two days. Hearing a commotion of cheerful screams, she quickly walked down the hallway and turned the corner to see the three of the four members walking towards her, followed by a group of girls.

Brielle jogged down the hall and pushed her way through the group until she had reached the front. A hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her from the crowd and against his body. Brielle looked up and noticed Lei had his arm wrapped tightly around her as he blocked her from the girls.

"*What a dare devil." Ximen joked and he turned in, the three of them creating a small circle around her. "*No fear charging into a group of girls like that." He smiled down at her.

"*Have you heard from Ah-Si?" She asked, looking from each of their faces. All three boys looked at each other, their faces hiding a secret. Brielle shoved at Ximen's stomach. "*Tell me what you know!"

Ximen rubbed his stomach, trying to ease the pain. "*Ah-Si is dealing with his emotions in his own way."

"*What does that mean?" She asked. All three boys suddenly looked away from her and focused on something down the hall. Brielle turned to see what it was, but couldn't see over the group of girls. "*What is it?" She asked, trying to stretch on her toes to see. The group of girls slowly dispersed just as Daoming Si approached. His face was rock hard, and his eyes black as he ignored the group. Brielle broke away from the boys and stepped into the hall so she could see him clearly. "Daoming Si!" She shouted, and he stopped. She took a step forward, ignoring the curious eyes around her. "Daoming Si, I need to talk to you."

Ah-Si stayed frozen for a moment, then turned his head slightly. "No thanks." He then turned from her and continued to walk.

Brielle felt her body go numb as he disappeared around a wall. Not only had he ignored her, he was now refusing to acknowledge her existence.

* * *

Brielle sat in the waiting room, her knees shaking from nerves as the girl who had gone before her returned from the office. She knew that any moment she would be called in next, and she would have to put on a brave face.

"Brielle Nora?"

Brielle quickly swallowed her fear and stood. "*Here." She gathered her bag and followed the lady into the room. At the table sat two other people, their eyes focused on a piece of paper on the table before them. Brielle sat at the head of the table and smiled, nodding to the two others as they looked up from their notes. "*Good afternoon. Thank you for seeing me today."

The lady who had called her in smiled. "*Before we get started, let me introduce you to our interviewers." She smiled as she rested a hand on her chest. "*My name is Ana Chu, head of the HR department. This is Mr. RuChi Chen, our Hotel Manager, and Miss Ne GiHan is the leading supervisor in charge of all employees." Brielle nodded in respect as she learned their names.

"*It's great to meet all of you." Brielle smiled, her hands sweating from nerves.

"*So you're a college student at Ming De University, is that correct?" Ana asked, referring to the application Brielle had filled out.

Brielle nodded. "*Yes. This is my first semester at the school."

"*That's a very prestigious school." Mr. Chen said, removing his glasses and rubbing his forehead. "*It's also a very difficult school to get into."

"*I was awarded a partial scholarship from my college back in America." Brielle informed. "*I spent two years studying foreign language, then transferred to Ming De for a more in-depth teaching."

"*So this being a part time position doesn't bother you?" Ana asked, looking up as she finished writing a note.

Brielle shook her head. "*Of course not. I actually prefer it. My mother has been funding me while I have been here, but I want to be more self-reliant and lower the burden on her."

"What hotel experience do you have?"

"*I would be lying if I said I had any, but most of my work experience comes from working the front lobby of my families company since I was fifteen." Brielle gripped the side of the chair.

"*What did your job duties consist of?"

Brielle thought back to what it was like sitting in that reception desk. "*I would schedule meetings and tend to business partners. They ran a book publishing company, so I would take in new submissions and categorize them, answer phones and organize paperwork."

"*Have you ever had to deal with an upset guest, and if so, how did you handle it?"

An image of Ah-Si suddenly popped into Brielle's mind. She quickly pushed away the thought of him and straightened her back. "There was a time where a guest was verbally angry. With some talking to, I was able to calm them down and they left happy."

* * *

Brielle locked her phone and looked up at the big building behind her. The interview had gone well, and now she had to wait to hear from them. She had about fifteen minutes before her ride arrived, and decided to walk down the street to a small café. After purchasing a small tea, she sat outside, enjoying the sun beam down on her.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket as she took a sip, scaring her as a small line of liquid ran from her lips to her chin. Brielle pulled the phone from her pocket and answered. "Hello?"

"I'm on the street, where are you."

Brielle stood and walked towards the sidewalk. "*Talents Tea across from the shopping mall."

Just as she said the words, a silver car pulled up and the dark window rolled down. "*Found you." Smiled Lei as he leaned across the seat to see her.

Brielle dropped the phone back in her pocket and opened the car door. "*Why did you insist on me coming to this again?" She asked, closing the door behind her and turning to face him.

"*You have drool on you." Lei smiled as he reached up and wiped at the tea that had ran down her chin.

Brielle reached up at wiped her sleeve on her chin. "*You startled me when you called and I spilled my tea." She felt her cheeks turn bright red.

Lei stuck his thumb in his mouth and smiled. "*Chai Tea?" He asked.

Brielle looked down at the tea in her hands and held it out to him. "*It's my favorite. Want to try?"

Lei collected the cup from her hands and took a sip. "Delicious." He set the cup in the center cup holder and reached around her to collect the buckle. "Safety first." His eyes locked in with hers, his face only inches away.

Brielle took in a deep breath as he leaned back and clicked in the buckle. "*You still haven't answered my question; why do you insist on me coming tonight?"

Lei pulled back onto the road. "*Its game night, and we wanted to teach you the game." He glanced over at her and smiled. "*Why can't I just ask you to hang out?"

Brielle paused for a moment, listening to his words. "*Of course you can." _You're just very confusing._ "*What games are being played tonight?" she gripped onto her seatbelt as they rounded a corner, trying to not move closer to him.

"*Bridge and hide and go seek." His face was straight as he said the words.

Brielle laughed. "*Bridge and hide and go seek? Why?"

Lei looked over at her and smiled. "*Bridge is for adults and hide and go seek keeps us young." He looked up at her and smiled. "*Balance is key to a healthy life style."

* * *

Brielle dropped her last card in defeat. "I lost, again." She took the last sip of her Chai tea and sat back in her chair, pulling her knees to her chest.

Mei Zou gathered up the cards and smiled. "*It just takes practice."

"*Doesn't help that I faced up against world title champions." She smiled and set down her cup. She scanned the room, admiring all the fancy furniture and paintings.

"*It will only make you better." Lei spoke softly, his eyes watching her as he took a sip of his beer, emptying the bottle.

Brielle pulled her gaze away from Lei and looked up at the other two. "*So how about a game of Hide and seek?"

Ximen and Mei Zou looked at each other then back to Brielle, their eyebrows raised in question. "*What are we, six?" Ximen askes, reaching into the fridge and pulling out another beer. He motioned to the other two, asking if they wanted one, before handing them both one.

Brielle glared at Lei who smiled to himself as he popped open the top of the beer and took a drink. "*But Lei said-"

"*That sounds like a fun idea Bri." Lei interrupted. He smiled up at Brielle then took another sip. "*To make it interesting, why not do it in the dark?"

"*Hide and go seek in the dark does sound like it could be interesting." Ximen relied smirking as he leaned against the bar.

"*In the dark?" Brielle asked as she adjusted herself in the chair so she could sit on the back to be taller. "I've only been here once before. How can you expect me to find anything without knocking over stuff?"

The three boys thought for a moment, looking at each other as if they were reading one anothers minds. "*How about this," Mei Zou spoke up first. "*When we hide, we leave the lights on. If Bri is looking, we dim them so she can still see shapes?"

Brielle nodded. "Fine. Nose goes!" She quickly placed her finger on the tip of her nose and looked around at the others, who watched her curiously. After a few seconds, Lei followed her motion and slowly placed his finger on his nose, followed by Mei Zou. Brielle dropped her finger and stared at the others. "*Have you never heard of nose goes?" She asked, shocked.

The three boys shook their heads. "*Touching the tip of your nose?" Lei asked, smiling as he dropped his hand back to his side.

Brielle nodded. "*Last person to touch their nose is the first to be it." She pointed to Ximen. "*You're first to seek."

Ximen smiled and turned towards the doors that led out of the large room. "*Okay, but you have one minute to hide."

As the door closed behind him, Brielle quickly looked around, trying to find a spot.

"*Here." Lei took her hand in his and pulled her towards the bar. "*You can fit right there." He pointed to a small space between the fridge and wall.

"*That's tiny." She looked up at him, her eyes wide. "*And isn't it kind of obvious?" She looked over at the door, then to the space noticing it was in a direct line of sight.

"*Better decide. You have ten seconds left." He smiled then jogged across the room.

Brielle quickly crawled into the space and pulled her hood over her head. She rested her head on her knees and pulled her hood over her head, and holding her breath as the light shut off.

"*You call this a hiding spot?" Ximen's voice was right above her. Brielle looked up to see him squatting down beside her. "*Have you never played this before?" He smiled down at her, the light from the window shining on his face.

Brielle pushed her hood off her head and pressed her cheek to her knees. "*That's the last time I take advice from Lei." She joked, sitting up straight and resting the back of her head on the wall.

Ximen extended his hand and helped her from the small space.

* * *

Brielle covered her smile and set down her beer, the bottle half empty. "*One more round, and then I have to head home." She looked at the three others, each of them already having more than four drinks. "*I'm going to have to call a cab because none of you are sober enough to drive me."

"*Or you could just stay here." Ximen smiled as he set down yet another empty bottle. "*There are plenty of guest rooms."

Brielle clapped her hands then pointed at Lei. "*Your turn!"

Lei stood from his chair and smiled. "*Okay." He moved towards the door slowly. "*I'll give you two minutes. Find a good spot."

As he left the room, Brielle sprung for the large thick curtain that covered the window. She threw the curtain around her and pressed her body into the window pane. She smiled, knowing she had finally picked a good spot.

The door creaked open, and Leis soft footsteps moved through the room. "*Damn." Mei Zou said, announcing he was the first found.

Brielle bit her lip, trying to remain quiet as the sudden excitement overtook her.

"*Crap." Ximen's voice rung out and the sound of a moving chair.

Brielle gripped her hands to her side, knowing she had won. She felt like jumping out of her hiding spot and declaring herself the winner, but the six year old kid inside her wanted to see how long it would take for him to find her.

After a minute, the curtain was moved sideways, and Lei's face was illuminated by the moonlight. Brielle bit her lip, trying to contain her excitement as a squeal escaped. "*I won." She whispered, smiling up at him.

Lei's hand reached up and cradled her cheek as he smiled back. "Yes. You won."

Brielle suddenly felt her whole body go numb as she looked up at him, his deep eyes watching her back. Before she could react to the moment, his lips met hers, soft and warm. His kiss felt comforting and safe, unlike any other she had experienced in the past.

Lei pulled back and looked down at her, pressing his forehead against hers. Someone across the room cleared their throat, and Brielle suddenly remembered they were no longer alone. The lights in the room were now on, but she was unsure of when it happened. Brielle looked towards the door squinting through the brightness, and immediately jumped back, noticing the eyes watching them.

She felt her breath catch in her throat as her heart dropped into her stomach. "Ah-Si." She quickly pushed herself away from Lei and looked back at the door. "Ah-Si, I-"

"*Shut up." Daoming Si's eyes were black as he locked onto Lei. His chest rose and fell heavily as he tried to contain his anger, his fists clenching to his side and his jaw locked. Without saying another word, he turned from the room and left.

Brielle finally took a breath, and before she knew it, her legs were moving after him. She pushed open the door and ran down the hall, stopping when she found him. His fist was clenched, his posture defeated as he slowly pressed his forehead against the wall.

Brielle carefully walked closer to him, touching his shoulder. "Ah-Si?"

He shrugged her hand away and turned to face her. "*I don't want to hear your bull shit." He said as he clenched his jaw. "*I've got all the answers I needed." He turned away from her and continued walking away.

"Daoming Si!" Brielle shouted after him as she ran to his side. "*Please."

He stopped again, this time keeping his back to her. "*Let's just pretend like nothing ever happened between us."


	9. Chapter 9

It feels like it's been forever since I've uploaded something! I apologize for the wait! I had really bad writers block after that last chapter and wasn't sure if I liked the direction I was taking the story. But here is a chapter for all my Lei Fans. Let me know your thoughts and where you would like to see the story go!

Thank you for all your love and support on this story. I really love writing it!

This chapter is dedicated to my sister Kenzie!

* * *

The car had been quiet the entire drive home. Brielle couldn't bring herself to say a word, and didn't know how to respond if anything was said to her. She looked up at the street sign as they passed and took a deep breath, knowing her home was only seconds away. She gripped onto the seat buckle, her fingers turning white from the tension. Finally her building was in sight, and she unlatched the buckle and grabbed her bag from between her legs.

"*Thank you." She gripped the door handle and moved her body to leave, but a hand gripped her elbow, holding her in place.

"*Bri, please talk to me."

Brielle closed her eyes and tried to take a breath, her throat tight with anxiety. "*I don't know what to say, Lei." She looked down at her hand on the door handle, and took in a deep breath.

Lei pulled at her elbow, trying to get her to look at him. "*Brielle, please say something." His grip loosened, but his fingers stayed pressed to her skin.

Brielle slowly turned in the seat, keeping her eyes down as she tried to think of what she wanted to say to him. "*Why did you do that?" She felt her voice come out louder that she had expected. The memory of their kiss ran through her head as she imagined his lips on her again. She had found Lei to be very attractive, but never expected anything like this to happen.

His eyes watched her, hoping she would look up at him. "*Am I not supposed to act on my feelings?"

Brielle finally looked up at him, her face full of confusion. "*What exactly are your feelings Lei?" She asked, trying to keep a calm voice. His face was soft as he looked down at her. It was as if the conversation wasn't at all difficult for him, yet he wasn't sure where to take it.

He took a breath, then rested back into the seat, his head propped by the back of the chair. "*I don't know. But whatever it is, I know I like you." His fingers circled on her jeans as he looked down then back up. "*I want you to give me a chance."

Brielle felt her breath stop. "*What?" Her eyes darted back and forth from him to anything else to distract her. She suddenly thought about Daoming Si, the words he had said to her the night before. "*But Daoming Si,"

"*Ah-Si gave up on you." His voice was suddenly harsh as his eyes widened.

Brielle sat back in the seat, startled by his sudden outburst of expression. "Lei, please don't,"

"*Brielle, he walked away from you." His fingers gripped the center consol. "*Why do you still want him?"

Brielle looked away from him. She didn't know how to answer him because she didn't know what she was feeling. "Lei, I don't know what to say." She admitted, gripping her hands together. She felt her heart rate rise as she thought about everything that had happened from the time they were at her mom's to now.

Lei's hand covered hers as his other gripped the bottom of her chin. "*You don't have to say anything." His voice was soft as her eyes fell upon him again. "*Just remember that I'm here too."

Brielle nodded her head and watched him turn back to the wheel. "*Thank you Lei." She whispered.

He looked back over at her and smiled softly. "*Always."

* * *

Brielle set down her chop sticks and pushed the tray away from her. She sat back in the chair and looked around the cafeteria, her eyes finally settling on Shiuri in front of her. "None of them are here today." She noted, watching her friend take a drink.

"Mei Zou mentioned something about them taking a personal day." Shiuri responded, pulling out her phone and looking over the past text messages. "Yeah, he said they went for a guy's day."

"*All of them?" Brielle raised her brows as she looked down at her phone. "No one told me."

Her phone suddenly buzzed as an incoming call showed. Brielle answered and held the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Meet me by the Bridge Room." The call ended abruptly.

"Who was that?" Shiuri asked, putting her phone back in her pocket.

"*It sounded like," Brielle stood from her seat and gathered her belongings. "I have to go." She sprinted out of the cafeteria and ran through the quad until she reached the east wing. As she reached the hallway, she paused.

Daoming Si turned at the sound of her steps, his face full of different emotions. Brielle approached him slowly, gripping the straps of her backpack. "*I thought you weren't going to be here today." His eyes watched her carefully, before pushing open the Bridge room doors.

Brielle had never been in their club room before. The room was bigger than she had expected. Its tall ceiling reached to a circular window that showed the blue sky and clouds, and the walls were lined with books and trophies. Just inside the room, the floor separated to a staircase that curved down to the lower floor.

Brielle looked over the railing admiring the décor before noticing the seating area below was occupied. She looked back at Daoming Si, but he was already descending the stairs. She followed behind him, watching the three others in the center of the room.

Her eyes fell over Lei as he lounged on the window seat, his arm draped over his eyes to block the sunlight. Mei Zou and Ximen sat in their own chairs, playing with a deck of cards. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Ah-Si cleared his throat, calling the attention to himself.

Ximen and Mei Zou looked up from their cards, confused. "*We thought you went to the bathroom. Why is she here?" Ximen asked setting down his cards and adjusting his glasses.

Lei suddenly sat up and looked at Brielle. He stood from the bench and walked over to the seating area. "*I thought we were just coming to play Bridge." Lei said, his voice groggy from sleep as he sat down in his large chair.

Daoming Si cleared his throat, then motioned for Brielle to sit down. After she sat on the edge of the sofa, he looked at everyone in the room. "*I needed to inform you all of something, and thought it would be easier to only say it once." He crossed his arms over his chest and paused, trying to figure out how he wanted to say the next words. "*I'm going to London."

"London?" Brielle asked, confused.

"*For how long?" Ximen asked, his eyebrows raised.

"*I'm not sure. Could be a few days, could be a few months."

Brielle suddenly felt everything go numb. She had thought that Ah-Si had wanted to talk to her about them, but now she wasn't sure what was happening. "*Why London?" She asked, trying to remain calm.

"*My mother has requested my assistance on a project." He looked at the others in the room trying to avoid eye contact with her.

"*When do you leave?" Lei asked, leaning back in the chair and folding his arms over his chest.

"*I'm heading straight to the airport when I leave here." He nodded his head as his eyes fell to the floor. "*I knew you would all give me shit if I up and left without telling you beforehand." He stuffed his hands in his coat pockets and looked back up at the group. Nodding his head, he smirked. "*I'll let you know when I land."

Brielle watched as Daoming Si walked back up the stairs, disappearing as he left the room. She turned her attention to the three others, their expressions all the same; content. "*Are we not going to do anything?" She asked, walking towards the stairs.

"*There's nothing we can do." Ximen sat up straight and took off his glasses. "*This wouldn't be the first time he's done this."

Brielle looked from each of them, waiting for someone to stand up. Her heart raced as she tried to contain her worry. Unable to wait any longer, she sprinted up the steps and back out the door. "*Daoming Si!" She shouted as she stepped into the hallway. She looked down both ends of the hall, trying to figure out which direction he had gone. She finally turned to the right and ran, trying to reach the end of the hall before he could disappear for good. "*Daoming Si!" She rounded the corner and froze.

He leaned against the wall, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he stared down at his shoes. Brielle placed her hand on the wall to balance herself as she tried to catch her breath. He looked up at her, his brow scrunched. "*Thought it would take you longer to find me." His face wore no emotion, just like when he expressed he was leaving.

Brielle pushed off the wall and took a step towards him. "*Why will you acknowledge me now?" She asked, looking up at him. "*I've tried to talk to you for days now and you have ignored me. Now you tell me you're leaving? Why?"

Ah-Si straightened his back and looked down at her. "*I figured you should know." He took a deep breath, his shoulders lifting as he watched her. "Now I can go without pity." He turned from her and walked down the hallway.

Brielle followed him, trying to keep up with his long legs. "Pity?" She jogged to his side and gripped onto his arm. "*What do you mean pity?"

He lifted his arm and pulled it away from her. Brielle jerked back, but reached back out to attempt to stop him. Ah-Si pushed then pulled his arm from Brielle just hard enough for her to stumble and fall to the ground.

They both stared at each other, neither knowing what to do or say next. Ah-Si took a step forward and extended his hand. "Bri, I'm,"

Brielle batted his hand away. "Have a safe flight Daoming Si." Brielle pulled herself to her feet and dusted her hands off on her pants, keeping her back to him. Without saying another word, she walked down the hall with dry eyes as she fought back the anger she now felt towards him.

* * *

Two weeks later.

"*You're a quick learner."

Brielle smiled as she looked up from the computer before her. Although it was only her second day on the she had already surpassed the training for the position and had been thrown into working the front desk. "*I've just had great training." She looked down at the clock and smiled. They day had flown by so fast and was almost time for her to leave.

"*Help out this last guest and then you are free to go home for the day." Her supervisor motioned to a guest who stood on the other side of the desk.

Brielle motioned for the guest to come forward and began his check in. As she collected his information, her attention was pulled by her coworkers who smiled and giggled quietly. She quickly looked back at the guest she was working with and typed in the information.

"*He's so handsome." One of the girls whispered to the other as she covered her mouth to hide the giggle.

Brielle made the keys to the room and handed them to the guest. "*Enjoy your stay sir."

"*What do you think he's here for?" One of the girls asked, as Brielle began to close down her computer.

"*He's looking this way, maybe waiting to check in." Brielle pulled her backpack from her cubby at her feet and slid her jacket over her shoulders. "*He's coming to check in. How do I look?"

The waiting bell chimed and Brielle quickly looked up to greet the guest. "Lei?" She asked, her face lighting up in a smile. "*Why are you here?"

He smiled down at her and picked up a pen that sat on the counter. "*I had to come see how cute you look in your uniform." He looked over the counter so he could get a better view as he twirled the pen in his hands.

Brielle draped her backpack over her shoulder and shook her head. "*Seriously? What are you doing here?"

"*Don't be rude Brielle." Interrupted one of the other desk agents. "*Introduce us to your cute friend."

Brielle tried to hide her smile as her eyes found Lei's, his expression full of amusement. "*Lei, this is Holly and Ren. Girls, this is Hua Ze Lei."

Both girls batted their eyes as he waved. Lei quickly looked back to Brielle, his face becoming soft again. "*Let me take you to dinner tonight."

Brielle walked out from behind the counter and met him at his side. "*Where at?"

"*Dream Night."

Both girls squealed in excitement. "*That's the new romantic Western restaurant that opened up last month!"

Brielle looked up at Lei and raised her brows. Before she could say anything, he took her hand and pulled her towards the door. "*Romantic?" She questioned, a small laugh escaping as they left the building. Lei kept a straight face as he opened the car door and motioned for her to get in. Brielle stayed on the curb and crossed her arms over her chest. "*How do you know I don't have any plans today?"

Lei raised his eyebrows in amusement as he took a step towards her and placed a kiss on her forehead. "*Can you stop looking for excuses and get in the car."

Brielle took a deep breath, and rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine." She sat in the seat and watched him close the door before climbing into the drivers. "*You could have given me a heads up." Brielle complained as she tried to hide her smile. Her stomach suddenly jumped with butterflies as he looked over at her.

He smiled softly then looked back at the road. "*Were you surprised?" He asked, letting his face go calm again.

"Yes." She replied, watching the corner of his mouth twitch as he fought back a smile.

"Did it make you happy?"

Brielle quickly looked away, her cheeks growing red. "Very."

He placed his hand on the outside of her thigh and caught her eyes with his as she looked up startled. "*That's why."

Brielle shifted in her seat and looked at the road in front of them noticing the traffic was moving again. "*Stop looking at me and watch the road." She smiled but quickly bit her lip. After a moment of silence, she looked back over at him and fought to keep her face calm. "Thank you."

Lei stopped the car in front of her building and shut off the engine. "*Hurry up and change. We don't want to miss our reservation."

Brielle unclasped her belt and opened the door. "*I'll be right back." She jogged from the car and into the building. After climbing the stairs she turned down her hallway and reached into her coat pocket for her keys. Both pockets were empty. She immediately ran her hands over the pockets of her pants before turning to look at the ground around her. She walked back down the hall and stopped at the top of the stairs, watching as Lei jogged into the building and up the stairs.

He stopped before her and held the keys out to her. "*They fell out of your pocket."

Brielle blushed then snatched the keys out of his hands. "*I almost had a panic attack." She walked back down the hall, looking over her shoulder to see he was now following her. "*Thank you." She stopped at her door and turned the key. "*Sorry for the mess. I've been a little stressed lately trying to get used to working now."

Lei shook his head and smiled as he shut the door behind him and sat on the couch. "*I don't mind."

"*I'll just be a minute." She moved through the living room and into her bedroom, pulling off her jacket and sliding off her shoes as she walked. She reached into her closet and pushed clothes aside, assessing which one would be best to wear. She froze for a moment as her eyes fell over the light blue dress, her breath catching in her throat. Shaking her head, she pulled out a black sweater top and tucked it between her legs. She then reached into her dresser drawer below her and pulled out a pair of leggings. She dashed into the bathroom for privacy, and changed, trying to protect what makeup was left on her face. She dropped her work clothes into the hamper then headed back into the living room. "*I'm ready." She grabbed her jacket off the back of the dining chair and turned to look at Lei.

He now laid on the couch, his arms tucked around his body and eyes closed. Brielle quietly walked over to the couch and knelt down in front of him. His face was soft and gentle, his dark lashed sitting softly on his cheeks. Brielle placed her hand on his shoulder and shook him gently. "*Lei, wake up." She whispered, trying to wake him softly. "*Lei, we're going to be late."

Lei stirred slightly before reaching up and wrapping his arm over her shoulder. His fingers gripped at her rips and pulled her up onto the couch, tucking her into his chest and wrapping both arms around her. Brielle pushed at his chest but was counteracted by his strong grip holding her even closer. She looked up at him, her eyes just below his chin. He smiled softly but kept his eyes closed. "*Lei, were going to be late if you don't wake up."

"*I am awake." He whispered, kissing her forehead.

Brielle scoffed as she pushed against him again. "*Well then were going to be late if we don't get up and go."

His smiled grew bigger, his eyes still shut. "*But I'm very comfortable." He finally looked down at her, his eyes sleepy. "*Can we just stay like this?"

Brielle felt her cheeks grow red and quickly tucked her face into his chest. "*Fine, but only for a minute." She snuggled into his chest, his warm arms holding her tightly to his body. After a moment of rest, she tapped her fingers against his chest and looked up at him. "Lei?" She whispered, watching his face for any sign he was awake. Suddenly her stomach growled and she pushed away from him in embarrassment.

Lei opened his eyes and looked down at her. "*Hungry?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Brielle nodded and sat up. "*Come on, we're going to be late."

Lei sat up beside her and rustled his hair as he yawned. "Lets go." He stood up and pulled at his sweater to smooth out the wrinkles. He looked over at her as she stood and pulled on her boots. "*You look very cute." He whispered, pulling her into his arms and pressing his lips against her hair.

Brielle froze for a moment before allowing her hands to rest on his hips. His embrace felt soft and comforting. She always felt safe around Lei, and now he was holding onto her in such a loving way. She could stay like this forever.

The sound of both of their stomachs growling pulled them apart. Lei's hand slid from her back and collected her hand. "*Let's hurry before your stomach eats itself."

* * *

"*Hua Zi Lei, party of two."

Lei raised his hand and stood, pulling Brielle to her feet with him. He took her hand in his and followed the waitress through the restaurant to a small table by the window.

Brielle gasped and ran to the window, looking out at the view around them. "Wow!" She exclaimed, looking back over her shoulder as Lei joined her. "*The city looks so beautiful from up here."

Lei placed his hand on her back and pulled out her chair. "*You can stare at the view all night, but let's order first."

Brielle nodded and sat down, picking up the menu and looking over the items, her eyes darting from the menu to the window out of excitement. "This place is too extravagant." She whispered, looking over items on the menu.

"*I hear the Mushroom Pasta is really great here." Lei replied, looking at her over his menu.

Brielle looked up at him and smiled. "*That does sound really delicious." She scanned over the options again. "*But the steak also looks great." She bit her lip as she tried to figure out what she wanted.

"*Are you ready to order?" The waitress asked as she approached the table.

Before Brielle could even look up, Lei had handed the waitress his menu. "*We'll take two Fillet Mignon's and the Mushroom Pasta."

"*Would you like me to separate the pasta onto two plates?"

Lei looked at Brielle as he pulled her menu from her hands and gave it back to the waitress. "*No thank you. We can share."

Brielle smiled back at Lei before looking back out at the view. "*Thank you for this wonderful surprise." She said, admiring the twinkling lights below. "*It's so beautiful up here."

Lei took a sip of his wine and followed her gaze out the window. Setting his wine glass down, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and took a quick photo. Brielle looked back at him as a second flash went off. Lei smiled and looked down at the photo on his phone. "*Now you can remember this moment forever."

Brielle stood from her chair and took the phone from his hands. "*Take one with me." She said pulling on his arm. Lei stood from his chair slowly and smiled up at the camera. Brielle looked up at him and set the phone back in his hand. "*You take one, your arms are longer." She suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled up at the camera. Lei paused for a moment, looking down at her before wrapping his arm around her shoulder and holding the phone out for a photo. He leaned forward slightly to make sure they were both in frame then took the photo. "*One more." Brielle said just as he stood straight again. She gripped his shoulder with her opposite arm and pulled him down to her height, pressing her lips gently to his cheek.


	10. Chapter 10

"*Thank you again for tonight Lei." Brielle unclasped her seat buckle and collected her backpack off the floorboard.

Lei grabbed her arm just as she opened her door and looked up at her. "*Let me walk you to your door." He said, reaching to his buckle and waiting for her response.

Brielle took a deep breath and forced a confident smile. "*I'd like that." Lei unlatched his buckle and shut off the car. He quickly jumped out of his seat and ran around to her side, holding open her door as she climbed out.

"*What are you doing tomorrow?" He asked as they entered her building.

Brielle smiled to herself as they climbed the staircase. "*Now you ask?" She joked, looking up at him. "*Why don't you just show up and expect me to go with you?"

Lei smiled to himself and looked over his shoulder at her. "*I only do that when you're not expecting it." He suddenly collected her hand in his looking back down the hallway.

Brielle looked down at her hand and smiled. "*I have work from Noon to five again." As they reached her door, she pulled her keys from her backpack then unlocked the door. She looked back over her shoulder at him as she held onto the knob. "*What did you have planned?" She asked, waiting for him to respond.

Lei looked from the floor back to her. "*I don't know yet." He took a step closer to her and placed a hand on her cheek. "*I just know I want to see you again tomorrow."

Brielle looked up at him, her breath wavering at how close he was to her. Her eyes lingered over his lips, the thought of kissing him suddenly on her mind. Brielle quickly turned back to the door and turned he knob. "*Thank you again for tonight. I had a great time." She opened the door and took a step inside.

Lei reached forward and placed his hand on top of hers just as she stepped inside. "*Can I come inside?" He asked, bending down so he was her height.

Brielle immediately thought about how he had fallen asleep on her couch earlier that day. She glanced at the clock at the wall and read it was just past ten. "*I'll make you some coffee." She quickly moved to the small kitchen and pulled out the coffee maker from the cabinet. "You must be exhausted." She pulled the coffee grounds out just as the sound of the front door shutting rang through the room. She scooped in a spoonful and grabbed a coffee cup from the drying rack. "*Do you like any creamers or sugar?" She asked turning around as she held both up then froze.

Lei stood directly behind her, his calm face watching her carefully. He carefully took both products out of her hand and set it on the counter behind her. Using his free hand, he pressed his fingers to her cheek and leaned down so his lips were hovering just before hers. Brielle could smell his intoxicating cologne causing her to close her eyes and fall back weakly against the counter. Lei moved his other hand to her waist and wrapped his arm behind her as a support. The anticipation was torture as Brielle waited for him to make the next move, her hands numb at her side. They had only ever kissed the one time before, but it was for a drunken split second that she vaguely remembered.

As if reading her mind, Lei pressed his lips gently to hers, so soft she could barely feel it. The butterfly feeling sent a shiver down her spine, wanting more. As their lips lingered slightly apart, Brielle let her fists open slowly as she reached out to him. She flattened her palms against his stomach, feeling his muscles tighten though the sweater at her touch.

Lei's fingers trailed along her cheek to her ear, then into her hair as he gripped the nape of her neck. His lips pressed against hers again, then pulled apart as he moved carefully, pressing his body to hers. Brielle gripped his side and pulled him against her, her lips longing to press back against his.

Kissing Lei was different than any other kiss before. It wasn't rushed or powerful, but soft and sweet. The electrical sensation that radiated from his touch made the hair on her body stand on end, with chills filling her senses.

Brielle gripped onto his sweater as the kiss deepened. Lei pulled her closer to his body as he moved his lips against hers, his hand moving up her back for a closer squeeze. Brielle felt her body tense at his touch as he pulled her hips up against him, lifting her onto the counter.

Brielle wrapped her arms around his neck and parted her lips just enough so her tongue grazed his lips. She felt warm and safe as his hands trailed from her hips to her thighs, before grazing back to her waist.

Brielle pulled her lips from his and looked down at him as she ran her fingers through his messy hair. His breathing was heavy as he slowly looked up at her, his eyes wandering over her lips. "*How could anyone walk away from you?"

His words were soft, but they sunk low in Brielle's stomach. She suddenly felt uneasy as the thought of Daoming Si began to pop up in her mind. She quickly looked away from him and rested her hands on his forearms. "*It's getting pretty late." She whispered. "We should get to bed."

* * *

Brielle looked at the clock on her computer and sighed. Any minute now, Lei would walk through the doors to pick her up, and for some reason her stomach turned with nerves. She had spent the entire night waking up from bad dreams, and knew it meant something. But she wasn't sure what. The exciting squeals from beside her made her stomach sink, knowing what it was about.

Brielle looked up from her computer just as Lei approached the desk. "Hello." He looked right at Brielle as he leaned against the counter, a slight smiled on his lips.

Brielle looked away from him and back at the computer. "I just have to finish my report, and I'll be ready to go."

Lei nodded his head and pushed off the counter. "*I'll wait in the lobby."

Brielle watched him walk away and turned back to her computer. As she wrote up her report, she couldn't help but think about what was to come when she would talk with him. She quickly pressed send and shut down her computer. "*I'll see you later. Have a good day!" She grabbed her backpack from under the counter and walked over to the sitting area. "*Ready."

Lei stood from his chair and smiled down at her. "*How was work?" He asked, taking her hand in his and leading her to the front door of the building.

"*Someone tried to sneak a dog into their room and ended up getting into the halls and away from the owner." Brielle chuckled to herself as she remembered the incident. "*It took security thirty minutes to capture him."

Lei opened the car door for her and waited for her to sit sown before closing it. He climbed into the car, started it, and then pulled out of the space. "I rented that movie you wanted to watch." He said as he turned onto the road. "*Do you want to watch it at my house or yours?"

"Can you just take me home?" Brielle asked, gripping her backpack in her lap. "*I don't feel very good."

"*Are you sick?" His hand flew up and pressed against her forehead. "*Let me get you some medicine."

"No, I just," She paused for a minute and looked down at her hands. "*Lei, you've been so good to me since I got here." She swallowed back her fear in her throat and closed her eyes knowing she was unable to stop the words. "*I consider you to be one of my best friends. And if I'm being completely honest with you, I still think about Daoming Si, and that's not fair to you."

The car was quiet for a moment as Lei pulled up to her building and put the car in park. Lei turned in his seat and leaned over, opening the glove box and pulling out a DVD of the last two Harry Potter movies. "*Think we can get through both movies tonight?" Lei asked, unclasping his seatbelt and shutting off the car.

Brielle narrowed her eyes at his response. "*Lei? Did you not understand me just now?"

Lei smiled up at her softly then took her hand. "*You may be breaking up with me now. But that doesn't mean we have to cancel our plans." He moved his hand from hers and brushed her hair out of her face. "*Now let's go inside, watch this movie, and then we can talk it over once you've calmed down." He placed his hand on her chest feeling her heartbeat. "Come on."

Brielle followed him up to her apartment and lead him inside. "*Are you hungry?" She asked, opening up her fridge and looking inside for something to eat.

Lei sat down on the couch and looked up from the DVD case. "*How about we just order take out?" He asked, pulling out his phone. "*What sounds good?" He asked looking up at her as he prepared to type.

Brielle smiled as she closed the fridge door and crossed the room. "Pizza!" She sat on the couch beside him and looked over at his phone. "*But not from that mom and pop place down the street. Their food always tastes like dirt." She joked, picking up the DVD and crossing the room to the small TV.

Brielle dropped the last slice of pizza back into the box and sat back on the couch. She looked up at the screen as the credits rolled for the last movie, then over at Lei. His body was slumped over on the cushion, his arms folded over his stomach and tucked into his sides. Brielle leaned forward trying to see his face which was tucked into his chest.

"Lei, the movie is over." She tapped his shoulder gently. In return, his breathing became heavier. Brielle smiled to herself and stood from the couch, taking the near empty pizza box into the kitchen. As she put away the leftovers, she glanced back at Lei and chuckled as he wrapped his arms around the cushion and cuddled his head into the soft fabric. After setting the empty pizza box by the front door for garbage, she grabbed the throw blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over him.

They hadn't had the chance to talk about what was said in the car, which caused her mind to spin from uncertainty. The image of Daoming Si popped through her thoughts as she stepped into the bathroom. She missed him, but at the same time she enjoyed Lei's company. She started the shower and quickly undressed. As she was about to step in, she remembered the last time she bathed with a boy in the other room and quickly ran back to the door and turned the lock. Although Lei was the exact opposite of Ah-Si, she wasn't about to take that chance.

Daoming Si had been gone for almost three weeks now, and in those three weeks she had gotten to know Lei and the others more. No matter how strong her feeling were towards Lei, she couldn't help but wonder what Ah-Si was doing, how he was feeling, or if he was happy.

Brielle quickly shook the thought away and let the water rinse the suds off her body. Whatever he was doing was none of her concern now. Their relationship was over, that was apparent. And her friendship with the guys was now her own, no longer listed as Ah-Si's girlfriend in the group, and she loved that. She smiled as the memory of a few days ago flashed in her mind, when Ximen proclaimed she was the new member of F4. She knew it was a joke, but the thought of being accepted by them brought her joy.

Brielle shut off the water and wrapped her towel around her. She quickly changed into her pajamas and wrapped the towel around her wet hair. Trying to remain quiet, she shut off all the lights in the house and made her way to her bedroom, turning on only her nightstand lamp. After plugging in her phone, she crawled into bed and shut off the lamp, hoping she would be able to dream of anything other than Ah-Si for a change.

* * *

Brielle sat up from her dream suddenly, clutching the blanket to her chest. She quickly looked around the dimly lit room, trying to catch her breath as the nightmare faded. She hadn't been so terrified since the incident had actually taken place, and now the memory of the night of her mother's birthday lingered in her mind. In real life, Ah-Si had been there to help them. But in her dream, he was nowhere to be found.

"*You okay?"

Brielle looked up at the archway, squinting to see Lei stretching. "Did I wake you?" She asked, reaching over and turning on the light by her bed. She squinted in pain as her eyes tried to adjust to the light.

Lei shook his head and leaned against the wall. "*No. I got up to use the bathroom and came out to you sitting there." He slowly walked into the room and sat at the end of the bed. "*Bad dream?"

Brielle shook her head and rubbed her eye. "*What time is it?" She asked looking over at her phone on the nightstand. It read 4am. She yawned and looked back at Lei. "*You stayed the whole night?"

He nodded his head. "*You're couch is comfortable." He suddenly crawled up to the top of the bed and rested his head on one of her pillows. "*This is more comfortable."

Brielle laid back on the pillow and looked over at Lei, his sleepy eyes fixated on her. "*We never talked about," She paused as he abruptly closed his eyes, ignoring her words.

He exhaled and nestled his head into the pillow. "*You can break up with me once Daoming Si returns." He said in a soft, sleepy voice. "*But I want to keep you until that day comes."

"Lei."

Lei opened his eyes and placed his fingers along her cheek. "*I know you care about both of us, and no matter what you choose, I'll support you." His fingers moved down her neck and over her shoulder as he pulled her closer to him. "*Don't worry about anything right now."

Brielle closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his chest. As she began to doze back to sleep, she could hear Lei's voice in the distance, as though he were across the room. "*I hope he doesn't come back." Brielle gripped onto his shirt tightly, as if to protest his words. But before she could say anything back, sleep took her over.

* * *

The next morning went by in a blur. Lei left early to shower and change before school, then swung back by to pick her up. Brielle raced down the hallways as the bell rang, alerting that she was late for her first class. She pushed through the classroom doors and quietly found her seat beside Shiuri.

"Oversleep?" Shiuri asked as Brielle pulled her textbook from her backpack and flipped through the pages.

Brielle scoffed. "You could say that."

The once quiet class erupted as girls began whispering and squealing. Brielle looked up to see Lei standing at the base of the classroom, scanning the room for her. Once he found her, he waved to the teacher apologizing for interrupting, then climbed the stairs to her seat.

"*You forgot your keys again." He spoke softly, kneeling down and taking her backpack. He latched the keys to the strap and tucked them into the side pocket. "*You'll have to make me a backup pair in case I'm not there to pick them up again." His fingers cupped her chin as he pressed a quick kiss to her hair before turning and leaving the classroom.

Shiuri nudged Brielle as she smiled. "So you and Lei are an item now?" She asked, whispering so none of the girls around them could hear.

Brielle shook her head as she looked up at the board and copied the notes. "I'm not exactly sure what we are right now." She admitted, pausing as she looked over at Shiuri. "Yesterday, I technically broke up with him, but he said that as long as Daoming Si isn't here, he wants his fair chance with me."

Shiuri nodded and looked back down at her notebook. "*What kind of life are you living?" She joked, scribbling down notes.

Brielle laughed. "A very confusing one." She looked up at the board and sat back in her seat, waiting for the next set of notes. "How are you and Mei Zou?" She asked, setting down her pen and massaging her wrist.

Shiuri smiled with excitement. "He took me to dinner Saturday night, then we went to a play." She clenched her hands as she tried to contain her excitement. "It was so romantic."

Brielle picked up her pen again and looked around the room. Most of the students had gone back to studying, but a few still watched her as they whispered to each other. "I'm so happy for you." She looked back at the board and continued taking notes.

* * *

Brielle stood by her locker waiting, Shiuri gathering her books beside her. Classes were over, and Brielle had less than an hour to get to her shift at the hotel. She tapped her foot impatiently as she looked up and down the halls. "I'm just going to have to walk." She said, turning to open her locker. As she did so, a small black box fell from her locker and onto her foot. She paused for a moment before leaning down and picking it up. It was the box that held the Polaroid's of Daoming Si, and the necklace she had put back in it when he left.

The sudden sound of girly banter filled the hallway, noting that her wait was over. She quickly shoved the box into her backpack and closed the locker. Spinning around, she looked down the hall at the noise and breathed a sigh of relief. Three heads towered over the group of girls as they moved down the hall. Brielle looped her backpack on her back and waiting as the boys approached.

Mei Zou broke from the group first, jogging up to Shiuri and wrapping his arms around her in a big hug. Ximen and Lei followed after, motioning for the girls to move out of their way as they approached.

Brielle laughed and shook her head. "Don't you ever get sick of it?" She asked, knowing none of the girls fully understood her.

Ximen smiled his charming smile. "If you're going to be a part of F4, you better get used to it." He wrapped his arm around Mei Zou and pulled him away from Shiuri. "*Calm down before you suffocate her." He joked.

Brielle looked over at Lei and smiled. "Can you take me to work?"

He nodded. "Of course." He placed his hand on her shoulder, then pulled her into his arms for a hug. "*How was your day?" He asked, whispering into her hair.

Brielle gripped onto his arm around her neck and smiled up at him. "*It was okay." Her mind immediately jumped to the box in her backpack. She hadn't seen it since the day she tucked it away in her locker, so why would it suddenly fall out.

Lei suddenly took her hand in his and pulled her through the hallway. "*How late do you work tonight?"

Brielle looked up from their hands and back at the hallway. "*I'm off at eight." She looked over at Shiuri and Mei Zou just a few steps ahead of them. "*But I have some school work I need to finish after."

Lei nodded. "*Okay. I'll pick you up so you don't have to walk." He replied, holding open the door for her.

Brielle nodded. "Thank you."

He kissed her hand and walked her to the car.

* * *

Brielle looked down at the clock on her computer and sighed. Two hours into the shift and nothing had happened. There had only been a few check-in's, and everyone working was getting annoyed.

"*They don't pay me enough for this." One of the girls at the front said as she tucked away a spray bottle and rag under the counter and leaned against the wall.

*Did you hear the rumors about the son taking over the company soon?" The other one said, her voice full of annoyance. "*What does a kid his age know about running a company?"

Brielle looked back at her clock and sighed. One minute had passed. She looked at the two other girls, both of them whispering now, one looking back at the lobby with a worried look on her face.

Brielle followed her gaze to see a group of people all dressed in suits enter the lobby. "*Who are they?" She asked, looking back at the girls as they walked back to their stationed computers and pretended to be busy at work.

"*Company shareholders." One of the girls whispered. "*That means the owner is here somewhere too." She carefully scanned the room while pretending to be working.

Brielle looked back at the group of shareholders. She had only been working a little over a week, and still didn't know much about the company. The most she understood was that some full time employees were upset their benefits had been cut off and some long term employees had recently been let go. Brielle squinted her eyes at the group, suddenly seeing something she thought she recognized, but it was gone too quick. She looked back at her computer, trying to mind her own business.

"*Who is in charge of cleaning this lobby?" Came a familiar voice.

Brielle's eyes snapped back to the group, her face in shock. Just through the group, she could make out the top of his head, the twisted strands standing taller than anyone else. As he spoke, the group of shareholders dispersed into the offices behind them, leaving him there alone. Brielle quickly hid behind her computer, suddenly afraid to see him. She looked over at the girl beside her who had just cleaned the lobby only a minute ago.

The timid girl froze, looking at both Brielle and the other before raising her hand. "*I am." She replied weakly.

He walked forward and threw a white handkerchief onto the counter. "*What the hell is this?" He asked, pointing at a dirt spot on the fabric.

"*I must have missed a spot while dusting, Sir." Her voice was on the verge of tears and she looked away from him.

Brielle watched as his long fingers gripped around the fabric, his knuckles turning white with anger. "*I hope you are aware that you just cost yourself your job." He picked up the fabric and threw it in her face.

"*Excuse you." Brielle shouted, stepping out from behind her computer.

The crying girl gathered the cloth and placed her hand on Brielle. "*Brielle it's okay. He's the boss."

Brielle looked from her coworker back to the man. She collected the handkerchief and threw it back at him. "*I don't care who the hell you are." She said, wrapping her arm around the young girl. "*How dare you talk to her like that."

His eyes bore down into her before looking back at the other girl, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "*Collect your things and go, now." He grabbed his handkerchief and turned back to the offices.

"*So you'll fire her and not me?" Brielle shouted, letting go of her coworker and stepping around from the desk. He ignored her and continued to walk. She felt her other employee grab at her arm and try to pull her back, but she stood her ground. "Daoming Si!"

He suddenly stopped. He kept his back to her for what felt like an eternity. As she felt her coworkers hand release her, she took a step forward until she stood in front of him. As if she were possessed, she felt her hand rise from her side and connect with his face, a sharp noise shooting through the lobby.

His eyes grew wide as he looked down at her, his fists clenching to his side. In a swift movement, he took hold of her wrist and pulled her into one of the offices, slamming the door behind him.

Brielle moved to the opposite end of the room, trying to keep a safe distance from him. "Glad to see you came back in a good mood." She spit sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest.

Ah-Si placed his hand over his cheek and licked his lips. "*Glad to see you can finally stand up for yourself." Brielle's heart beat fast against her chest. She hugged herself tightly, afraid he could see her whole body was pulsing with adrenalin. "*How dare you embarrass me in front of my employees." His voice was dark, but she could see the rage leaving his body.

She felt her lip quiver as she fought to have the courage to say what she wanted to. "*How dare you treat someone the way you just did." She shook her head. "Even an ass hole like you has to have some regard for other human beings."

He leaned against the desk and crossed his arms over his chest. "*It's my company."

"So!" Brielle felt her arms drop to her side. "*If I would have known this was your company, I would have never applied."

"*No one would ever hire you with your shitty resume." He touched the side of his mouth then looked at his finger, expecting the find blood.

"How did you," She paused looking up at him. "*You saw my resume?"

He raised his eyebrows at her and smirked. "*How else do you think you got the job." He replied, a prideful smiled playing on his lips. "*They turned you down but I forced them to give you the position the day I spoke with you at the college."

Brielle thought about that day. She was so mad with him after the way he had treated her. He must have hired her out of pity. "*Well I quit." She replied. "*You can give it to someone more fitted to work for you."

He shook his head. "*You can't quit."

Brielle narrowed her eyes. "*Why not. It's obvious you hate me."

His eyes grew wide. "*I do?" He scoffed. "I don't remember saying that."

Brielle looked down at her arms and tried to think of something to say back, but nothing came to mind. "*I still quit." She walked pass him and turned the knob to the door.

Just as she opened it a crack, his large hand came down and shut it again, stopping her from leaving. "*Don't quit." He replied, his breath on the back of her neck. "*I'll let the other girl keep her job, but only if you stay."

Brielle stayed in place, afraid to turn around. "*Go tell her now." She stepped aside from the door and looked up at him, crossing her arms over his chest.

He looked down at her for a moment, waiting to see if she was serious, then rolled his eyes. "Fine." He opened the door and stepped into the lobby. "*You." He shouted. He looked back at Brielle who stood in the doorway watching him. Looking back at the girls, he took a deep breath. "*You can keep your job." He raised his eyebrows before continuing. "*But don't let this happen again." He looked back at Brielle for approval before stepping back into the office.

"*Thank you." She said as he blocked the doorway. "*Now I have to get back to work." She reached for the door only to be pulled back and into his arms. Ah-Si shut the door quickly then wrapped his arms around her tightly, nuzzling his head into her hair. "Ah-Si?"

He stayed quiet for a moment, taking a few deep breathes before letting her go. "Sorry." He whispered as she turned slowly and looked at him. "*I just missed you."

Brielle felt her heart leap from her chest as she looked up at his soft face. She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. "*Are you okay?" She asked, her brows raising with concern.

He took a deep breath. "*A lot has happened the past few weeks." His eyes locked in with hers. "*Seeing you just made things better."

Brielle fought back a laugh. "*Even though I slapped you."

He ran his hand over his cheek and let out a laugh. "*Even then." His eyes went soft as he looked back down at her. They shared a moment of silence, both unsure of what to do.

Brielle swallowed before looking away. "*I need to get back to work." She whispered, turning away from him and placing her hand on the door handle. "*Welcome home." She opened the door and walked back to the desk. She gathered her thoughts and looked up, just as he opened the door and left the room, heading into where the shareholders had gone.

"*What just happened?" One of the girls asked, walking closer to Brielle.

"*Did you get fired?" The other asked just as Brielle approached her computer and moved the mouse around to wake up the computer.

Brielle took a deep breath before turning to face the two girls. "*The only important thing is you still have a job." She smiled at the girl who was only a year or two younger.

"*How do you know him?" The other girl asked, trying to whisper in case anyone of importance was around to hear.

Brielle didn't want to disclose the full truth, and knew that it could not be trusted with the two gossips of the company. She went with the only outlet she could think of in that moment. "*Hua Zi Lei and Daoming Si are best friends." She hated the fact she had used Lei that way, but couldn't bare if they knew the truth.

Both girls looked at each other and nodded. "*That's why Hua Zi Lei looked familiar."

Brielle turned back to her computer and logged back into the software. She tried to focus on her work, but the thought of him being back in the same building as her made her stomach flutter with nerves.

* * *

Brielle finally logged off her computer and reached under the cabinet for her items. When she stood up straight, her breath caught in her throat as her eyes fell over Daoming Si.

"Are you off?" He asked, his face soft and curious.

Brielle felt her heart pulse against her chest as his dark brown eyes watched her intensely. She nodded cautiously.

Daoming Si stood straight up and raised his eyebrows. "Let me drive you home."

Brielle looked over at the two girls watching them, their faces displaying that they had no idea what was being said. Brielle felt thankful that he respected her silent request to keep things professional in the work place. She smiled up at him and shook her head. "Thank you, but I've already got a ride."

As if on que, the lobby doors opened from the street and Lei stepped inside the building. Brielle tried to keep her eyes from looking at him, in fear of the words that might be spoken if Ah-Si saw him. She had no idea what their relationship was like since he left, and couldn't bare seeing them fight. But there was nothing she could, now that Lei was approaching the desk.

His hand reached out and gripped Daoming Si's shoulder. "*Welcome home." Ah-Si looked over at Lei, his brow furrowing. Lei smiled up at him, disregarding the puzzled look in his friends face. "*How come you didn't tell any of us you were coming back?" He asked, leaning his back against the counter to get a better view of his friend.

Ah-Si looked back at Brielle before putting on a brave face. "*I'm not planning on staying long. Just have some business to attend to before heading back to London."

Brielle felt her stomach drop at the words. Although she was upset at him, she hadn't realized how much she had missed him until now. The thought of him leaving again made her suddenly feel sad. She clutched onto her bags and walked from behind the desk. "I'll be in the car." She couldn't bring herself to look up at them. She knew they would be able to see the pain on her face, and wanted a moment to herself to collect her emotions. Daoming Si was back, but for how long. And what did that mean for her and Lei? As she reached for the door handle, she heard the locks unlatch as the inside lit up. She turned briefly and looked back up at the hotel entrance. Both guys stood at the top of the stairs looking down at her. Brielle quickly looked away to hide her blushing face and climbed into the passenger seat.


	11. Chapter 11

The past four days since Daoming Si had come back were stressful for Brielle. Although she had a few days off in between her schedule at the hotel, she still felt his constant presence, even when he wasn't around. Yesterday at work, every time he would pass by the front desk, he would watch her intently. She did her best to focus on work, but she couldn't help look up every time she heard an unexpected noise.

The sound of a door opening across the lobby caught her attention. Brielle looked up and watched as Daoming Si crossed the lobby and stopped at the front of the desk.

"*Yes Sir?" She asked, trying to remain professional.

Ah-Si smirked at the title. He didn't like it when she referred to him like that, but for some reason he enjoyed watching how uncomfortable she became when the words left her mouth. "What are you doing after work?"

Brielle quickly looked around the lobby and desk, making sure no one heard or understood him. "Nothing. Why?"

He smiled as he leaned forward to whisper. "Let me take you out tonight."

Brielle shook her head and took a step away from the desk, putting a distance between them. "What do you have in mind?" She asked hesitantly. "Who else will be coming?" She questioned, trying to be strict and keep to her new no dating the boss rule.

He shook his head and smiled. "Just us." He took a deep breath before straightening his back. "*Dinner. Maybe a movie."

Brielle threw her arms up to stop him from exposing any more in front of the others. "Stop it." She looked around making sure no one else was watching their exchange in words. "I'm not going on a date with you."

Ah-Si furrowed his brow. "Why not?"

Brielle shook her head. "Please don't do this right now Ah-Si."

His lips pressed in a hard line as he studied her face. "Fine. But I want to talk to you after you are off. I'll drive you home." He tapped his hand on the counter before turning away and heading back to his office.

She quickly exhaled, realizing she had been holding her breath during the entire conversation. She adjusted her expression and looked up from her computer as a guest approached, his appearance a little rough compared to the regular guests she was used to seeing here. She scrunched her nose as the strong smell of cigarettes reached her, the stale scent catching in her throat.

"*How can I help you sir?" She asked, trying to force a smile. The man stood there quietly for a moment, his head slowly cocking to the side as he watched her carefully. Brielle suddenly felt her stomach drop as she looked into the man's eyes. She straightened her back subconsciously preparing herself to interact with the guest. "*Sir? Do you have a reservation?"

The man shook his head slowly, a small smile creeping on his face. "No reservation."

Brielle felt a shiver run through her as he spoke to her in perfect English. Before she could respond, the disturbing man turned from the desk and left the building. Once out of view, Brielle shook her arms as if shaking off a layer of dirt. She turned from the desk and looked over at the other girl, their eyes connecting with surprise.

"*Did you see that?" Brielle asked, placing her hand over her chest and taking a deep breath. She felt the hair on her body raise, her eyes watering. She had never felt such a creepy vibe from anyone, ever.

* * *

Brielle looked down at the text on her phone and exhaled. Daoming Si planned to drive her home, but he was running late in a meeting. She had been sitting in the break room for over thirty minutes, her stomach growling from hunger. She looked back at the phone and typed a quick message to let him know she would wait at the tea shop down the street.

She grabbed her backpack and quickly left the building, walking down the road to the little shop. She stopped at the crosswalk and waited for the light to change and cross. As she waited, a black car pulled up to the light and the window rolled down exposing a decent looking man.

"Excuse me?" He called out.

Brielle looked over and noticed it was a guest who she had helped at the hotel earlier that day since he didn't speak Chinese. She smiled as she stepped closer, his expression relieved. "How can I help you?" She asked, looking back to make sure the light hadn't changed.

"I'm supposed to meet up with my friends at this restaurant, and my GPS is not connecting." He pointed to a black GPS screen on the dashboard. He held up his phone with the name of the restaurant on the screen.

Brielle had never been to the restaurant, but she had seen it on her way home from work and school. She smiled and cleared her throat. "Just make a left turn two lights up and it will be on the right, after you go through the third light."

She straightened her back, but before she could take a step back, a large arm wrapped around her and a large hand covered her mouth. Brielle immediately began to kick and squirm as she fought to break free of his grasp. She bit down on his large finger, and cried out, only to have his arms squeeze tighter around her waist. Brielle felt her energy leave her body as she slumped against the large man who lifted her off the ground and moved to the back of the car. Sudden tiredness took over her eyes, but before they closed, she could see the trunk of the black car opening up, and her body being set down inside.

* * *

Brielle slipped in and out of consciousness, her body aching with pain with every breath. She tried many times to open her eyes, but the light from the ominous room sent pain through her head. Although the pain felt unbearable, she knew she couldn't continue to lay on the dam floor. Slowly forcing her eyes open, she looked around the white room, her vision slowly adjusting and exposing more of the room each second.

She froze for a moment, as her eyes fell upon a small group of men in the corner of the room, huddled in a circle as they talked. As she watched them, she began to realize just how large the room was. She continued to look around the building for a form of exit, but the only door that was not barricaded was at the far end of the warehouse, past the group of men. She rolled onto her side and tried to sit up straight, but collapsed back down in exhaustion.

"Hey!" One of the men shouted as he approached her and knelt down. "You are awake, finally." He reached his dirty hand out and moved her hair from her face. Brielle looked up at him and recognized his face from the car.

She scrunched her nose as the smell of alcohol hit her senses. "Where am I?" She asked, her voice dry and exhausted.

She man smiled down at her as he pulled out his phone. "You're in my hotel." He said sarcastically. "Isn't it lovely?" He held his arms out to his side as he motioned to the large warehouse. He looked back down at her, his face becoming serious. "I never expected the girlfriend of such a successful man would be American." He whispered, holding up the phone as a flash went off, blinding her. "Aren't I lucky?"

Brielle closed her eyes in pain, and rolled onto her back. Her head felt as though someone had just stabbed her eyes as the nerves burned in pain. She tried to reach her arms up to cover her face, but froze when she noticed her wrists were bound together.

She looked up from her rope tied hands and glared at the man who now stared at his phone as he typed. "Why am I here?" She asked, trying to blink away the pain.

The man smirked and stood to his feet. He motioned for the other men to come closer as he took a step back. Two men grabbed her shoulder and lifted her from the ground, setting her in a wooden chair.

As they strapped her legs to the base, the other man spoke again as he paced before her. "Your boyfriend, Daoming Si is quite the troublemaker." He said, pointing his phone at her as he chuckled to himself.

The men around her stepped back, so she could see the other clearly. Brielle felt her face tighten. "Daoming Si is not my boyfriend." She stated, scrunching her nose.

The man turned and looked at her. "But he does care about you." He walked closer to her and knelt down so he could look up at her. "Plenty of my men saw how he acted towards you. We've been watching him for quite some time, and never once has he spoken to someone the way he spoke with you."

"So you kidnapped me to mess with him?" She asked, staring deeply into his eyes. She immediately thought about Ah-Si and whether he would actually care about what happened. He left to London after abandoning their relationship and fully giving her over to Hua Ze Lei. If anyone was looking for her, it would most likely be Lei. She shook her head as a pitiful laugh escaped her lips. "Sorry to say, but Ah-Si doesn't care about me in the way you think he does. If anything, he'd be thanking you for taking me away from him."

The man stood and nodded his head as a smile crept onto his lips. "Is that so?" He turned away from her and started to walk away. Suddenly a loud laugh escaped his lips as he turned back around, his eyes wide with adrenaline. "Is that so Daoming Si?" He shouted as he motioned his hands to one of his men.

The large man suddenly appeared in front of Brielle, his hand raised. The pain of the contact with her cheek radiated through her body as the chair tipped sideways from the force. Brielle tried to control her body, but felt her opposite cheek slam into the concrete below. She gasped as the air in her lungs caught in her throat and the iron taste filled her mouth. She wanted to cry out in pain, but her body was motionless. She closed her eyes and waited for her breathing to become normal once again.

Before she could process, she felt her body move with the chair as one of the men brought her back upright. Her head flopped back, the pain stretching through her back as she fought to find the strength to stay awake. Her eyes fell upon the leader, his expression surprised. She swallowed back the iron liquid in her mouth and pressed her mouth in a straight line.

"You're stronger than you look." He laughed, turning to a man that stood on the other side of Brielle. "Send that one too." He said, pulling out his own phone and walking closer to get a picture of her face. "Sorry to ruin that pretty face of yours." He said smiling. "I hope he cared about you and not just your looks."

Brielle felt her consciousness drift as her body became weak.

* * *

Brielle opened her eyes slowly and gazed up at the men around her. For a split moment, she had forgotten where she was. She carefully lifted her head and winced as pain shot through her spine.

"She's awake." Came a familiar voice from behind her. Before she could say anything, his hand came down on her shoulder and his eyes met hers. "Did you have sweet dreams?" He asked, a cheerful smile playing on his face.

Brielle felt her lips quiver as she fought back tears. She wanted to go home. Her stomach lurched as the fear and anxiety built up inside her. She wanted to burst into tears, but knew she needed to put on a brave face. She looked away from him, trying to contain her emotions. "The sun went down." She whispered, her voice quivering as she realized just how alone she really was. "Told you that you were wrong."

The man's smile stayed planted as he straightened his back and crossed his arms over his chest. "He still has fifteen more minutes." His smile was sinister.

Brielle looked down at her lap, noticing her shirt stained with drops of blood. In that moment, she welcomed whatever came next. Her heart had sunk into her stomach, and her muscled were exhausted. "Daoming Si is a man of honor, but he's not stupid." She whispered as a tear dropped from her eyes and vanished into her jeans. "He has a future and a business he has to take care of. He'd be an idiot to risk all of that for me."

The guy nodded his head as he let out a laugh. "Yes, he would be." The room grew quiet at everyone watched each other.

The sudden sound of creaking brought everyone's attention to the main door as he swung open. Brielle took a deep painful breath as her eyes fell over the tall boy, his eyes full of anger. "No." She whispered, looking at the other men that stood between them as they gathered their dangerous items in their hands. "No!" Her voice rang through the large building as he stepped into the light. "You weren't supposed to come!" She fought against the ropes that tied her down, desperately trying to break free.

Daoming Si's eyes widened as he looked upon her face, her cheek swollen and brown and her shirt stained with blood. His eyes turned black at they found the man in the suit before her. "You are going to regret you laid your hands on her." His voice was cold as his fists gripped at his sides.

The man quickly jumped behind Brielle and held a pocket knife to her neck. Brielle froze in fear, afraid that if she moved the knife might touch her skin. He gripped her hair and pulled her head back, exposing her neck. As Doming Si took a step forward, the cold blade pressed against her throat.

"Take one more step and I'll slice her open." The man shouted as his grip tightened in her hair.

Doming Si stood still as his eyes fell over Brielle then back to the man. "I'll do whatever you wish." He loosened his fingers and held them at his side. "Don't hurt her."

The man chuckled deep in his throat. "You would give your life to save hers?" The man asked, the knife lowering just slightly.

Brielle swallowed as she took a deep breath. "*It's not worth it." She cried out to him, tears falling from her eyes. "*Get out of here."

Daoming Si watched her carefully, his eyes softening when they fell over her. "Yes." Although his words were meant for the man, his eyes stayed locked onto her. "*Don't cry." His voice quivered slightly as their eyes held onto each other. The other men around them began moving closer to him. "*Close your eyes. I don't want you to see this."

Brielle wanted to scream as she followed his command. She shook as the footsteps traveled further from her and closer to Ah-Si. A loud smack rang through the air, causing Brielle to jump in a reaction, followed by a scream. She felt her body cave in on itself as she continued to cry out, her eyes fighting to open. She peeked for a moment and gasped as she watched one of the crowbars smash against his back, forcing him to the ground. She could no longer keep her eyes closed. She looked down at him as he slowly lifted his head, his eyes meeting hers just as another bar hit his back. Brielle cried out as blood dripped from his lips and onto the cement below, his eyes never leaving hers.

He smiled, as though trying to appear stronger. "That's the best you got?" His gaze moved to the man at his side, the smiled dropping into a scowl as he leaned back, attempting to stand again.

"Kill him." The man behind her stated dryly, dropping the knife and standing to his feet. "Kill him!" He shouted, watching the men raise their clubs again.

The room suddenly filled with alarms as flashing lights appeared from the windows. The men immediately dropped their weapons and ran towards one of the far doors, pushing aside a large desk before scrambling through. The leader turned back to Brielle and held the knife to her as he stepped closer. Just as he reached her side, a crowbar slammed against his head, sending his body to the ground.

Daoming Si stood quiet for a moment, his eyes looking down at the passed out man. He dropped to his knees, his arms resting on her knees as he fought to stay upright. "*Are you okay?" He asked, resting his head in her lap.

Brielle tried to steady her breathing as she looked down at him. "Why did you come here?" She sniffled as she tried to fight for the words. "Why?"

He suddenly looked up at Brielle, before his dark eyes rolled back, and his body hit the ground.

"Daoming Si!" Brielle felt the tears flow over her cheeks as she watched his still body on the ground. She fought against the ropes, desperate to break free and hold him. A bright light shined in her eyes, and she felt her head spin at the searing pain shot through her skull. She closed her eyes, and felt the exhaustion consume her body.


	12. Chapter 12

Brielle felt the cold air shift against her skin, and a hot sensation grip at her face. She twitched her back, no longer comfortable in whatever position she was sitting in. _Where am I?_ She thought as she fought to open her eyes. They didn't move. _What's happening?_ She felt something wrap around her ankle and pulled back as though her legs were being bound again. _Stop,_ she thought, wanting to desperately pull away. _Let me go._

Her eyes flew open as the bright light around her eased. She squinted her eyes and tried to look around the room, her neck stiff and in pain.

"Bri?" Came a feminine voice from beside her.

Brielle turned her head, but could only see a large blur where the person sat. She squinted her eyes harder, trying to focus on the blur. "Who are you?" She asked, her voice dry and cracked as she forced the words.

The blur gripped onto her hand as it leaned forward. Brielle retracted her hand out of uncertainty, not fear. She blinked her eyes again as more colors began to form.

"It's me sweetie." The soft voice came again. "It's mommy."

Brielle took a deep breath as the world suddenly came together all at once. The blur quickly formed into her mother, and the room behind her became clear. She felt a tear drop down her cheek as she looked up at her beautiful mother, her face red and puffy from crying. "Mom?" She rasped as she attempted to sit up. "What are you-" She paused as a sharp pain shot through her back.

Her mother reached out and placed her hand on Brielle's shoulder. "Careful. You have two cracked ribs." She reached behind the bed and lifted the remote to adjust the mattress into a sitting position.

Brielle looked around the room as the sudden memory of what happened set in. "Where is Daoming Si?" She asked, looking up at her mother as she waited for the bed to adjust.

Her mother fluffed the pillow and sat back down on the bed. "Last I heard he was in intensive care." She paused as she looked away. "His mother is keeping the information very quiet."

Brielle looked around the large room and noticed they were completely alone. Behind her mother was a small unmade cot that looked freshly slept in. Brielle scrunched her face as she looked back at her mom. "Are we in a private room?" She asked, trying to take in a deep breath to fill her tight chest. She placed her hand on her side, feeling the bandage that held her ribs in place.

Her mother nodded as she smiled like she had a funny story to tell. "Those boys are so amazing to you." She held on tight to Brielle's hand, her eyes filling with tears. "They paid to have you in this room and didn't leave you alone until I got here." She took a deep breath trying to keep herself from crying. "I'm so happy you finally woke up."

"How long was I asleep for?" Brielle asked, her heart racing as she fought the urge to jump out of the bed.

"Three days." Her mom's voice was dry as she said the words. "Don't ever scare me like that again." She whispered. Brielle nodded her head as if to apologize.

Suddenly, the door to the room opened and a familiar face poked through. Lei smiled as he saw her sitting up, and quickly crossed the room to the bed. "How do you feel?" He asked, sitting at the end of the bed and smiling over at her.

Brielle tried to force a smile. "I feel okay." She nodded her head. "How is Ah-Si?"

Lei looked down at the blanket as he ran his fingers over the rivets. "Daoming Feng wouldn't let us see him for the first few days. But yesterday she left back to London." He looked up at her, his face red but calm. "He had a lot of internal bleeding and broken bones."

Brielle looked at him intensely as she waited for more. "But he is okay?" Lei stayed quiet as he looked away from her. "Can I see Ah-Si?" She asked as she attempted to lift the blanket off of her.

"A nurse is bringing a wheelchair to take you to him." He stood from the bed and walked towards the door.

Brielle wanted to jump from the bed and run. She moved her leg, but felt a sharp pain run up her hip and into her back. She shook her hands as she waited for the wheelchair to come to her bed and the nurse help lift her from the bed.

They couldn't move fast enough. She watched the signs on the walls as they moved past, waiting for the one that read ICU. When the words appeared before her, she felt her heart drop. Ah-Si was only a few feet away now, and that meant she could see his face any minute. They passed by the doors and continued down the corridor until they reached another stationary door.

Brielle looked up at the listing, noticing it was not in the ICU wing. "I thought he was still in intensive care?"

"Daoming Feng had him moved to a more private wing." Lei spoke beside her as he held open the door.

Brielle looked down towards the end of the hallway a noticed Ximen and Mei Zou leaning against the wall talking. Ximen looked up as they approached and smiled. "*Glad to see you upright." He said, placing his hand on top of her head and rustling her hair.

"*Thanks guys." She looked towards the double doors that entered into his room and took a deep breath. "If you guys don't mind, I'd like to see him for a moment on my own."

Lei took a step away from the wheelchair and allowed her mother to take over, and opened the doors for them as they entered. Brielle's fingers tightened around the arms of the wheelchair as her eyes fell upon Ah-Si, his eyes peacefully closed and the monitors beside him steadily beeping.

Her mother pushed her up close to the bed side, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm going to run down to the cafeteria with the guys. Do you want anything?" She asked.

Brielle shook her head, her eyes fixated on Daoming Si. Before she could hear her mother leave the room, she placed a hand on top of his through the thin blanket, feeling the strength in his muscles.

"*You look tired."

Brielle looked up at his face, his eyes barely opened as he smiled faintly at her. "*You look worse." She smiled up at him as his fingers turned and held hers through the fabric. "*How are you feeling?" She asked, bringing her other hand up and placing it on his forearm.

"*I feel fine." He coughed suddenly, wincing as pain shot up his abdomen. He caught her hand as she reached out to comfort him. "*I'm fine."

"Maybe I should go back to my room and let you rest up." She pulled her hand away from his, only for him to reach back out and gripped her hand.

"*How are you feeling?" He asked, staring at her intensely.

Brielle looked away from him and focused her eyes on his hands. She wanted so desperately to crawl into the bed with him and wrap her arms around his neck. She carefully moved to the edge of her chair and paused, knowing she would not be able to stand on her own, let alone lift herself into his bed. "I just really want to be next to you." She tightened her fingers around the blanket.

Ah-Si reached under the covers and pulled out a remote that was attached to the bed. Within seconds the door for the room swung open and a nurse approached the bed. "*Please assist her." Ah-Si asked motioning to Brielle.

The nurse wrapped his arm around Brielle's shoulder and helped her to her feet before cradling her in his arms and placing her on the bed. "*Thank you." She replied to the nurse as he took a step back.

"*Can I assist you any further?" He asked.

Daoming Si moved slightly in the bed, allowing Brielle to have more room before looking back up at the nurse. "*Thank you. We are good now."

Brielle curled up beside Ah-Si, resting her head in the crook of his arm. She placed her head on his chest and just listened to his heart beat. His chest lifted with each weak breath as he gently ran his fingers over her side. Brielle focused her eyes on her fingers, noticing the dried blood under her nails. She folded her fingers into her palm and suppressed any thought of the horrific events that placed her here.

"*You're very quiet now." Ah-Si whispered, his hot breath on her forehead.

Brielle cleared her throat and tilted her head so she could see him better. "I just can't get it out of my head." She replied softly, afraid her voice might crack if she gave too much emotion.

Ah-Si adjusted his shoulders slightly. "*Don't let those guys clog your mind."

Brielle shook her head, disagreeing with him. "It's not them I'm thinking about." She brought her hand to his face and trailed his jaw. A nearly black bruise had formed from where he had been hit. "I didn't think you would come."

Ah-Si brought his hand from her side and cradled her head against his chest. "*There is nothing that could have stopped me from getting to you." He ran his fingers through her hair, soothing her.

Brielle felt tears begin to form behind her eyes, and buried her face into his chest. "I thought this whole time you still hated me." She gripped onto his gown as she forced back the sobs.

Ah-Si suddenly shifted as he attempted to sit up. Brielle rolled onto her back, watching him as he used every form of strength to prop himself up on one arm, wincing from the broken bones he was straining. He rested on his elbow and leaned over her, his face inches from hers. "*You are mine." He whispered, his eyes focused on her. "No matter how much you hate me, I will always make sure you are safe." He paused for a moment, looking away from her as pain stretched over his face. "*Even if you want nothing to do with me, I'll always take care of you." He pressed his lips to her forehead and lingered as he took wavered breaths. "Even if you move back home or anywhere else in the world." He paused as his eyes bared into hers. "Even if you _are_ Lei's." His words shook as he fought to let them out. His chin quivered as he closed his eyes to contain his emotions.

Brielle felt her heart drop at the name. Lei. She had not spoken to him much since she had woken up. She pressed her hand against his chest and looked up at him, her face full of emotion. The door opened across the room, pulling Brielle's attention away from Ah-Si.

"Oh. Good Morning Ah-Si." Her mom smiled as she entered with a small plastic bag in her hand. "The nurses were worried you would have slipped back into comatose you slept so long." She held open the door, allowing the boys to follow behind her.

Brielle quickly looked up at Ah-Si as he slowly rolled back over onto his back. "Good." He exhaled, pulling at the covers over his chest. "*Maybe I could finally get some sleep without her hogging my bed."

Brielle narrowed her eyes. He could jump from being so romantic, to annoying in seconds. She pushed herself off the pillow and draped her legs over the side of the bed. "*Lei, can you come help me back in the wheelchair?"

Lei moved across the room and grabbed the wheelchair. After pushing it closer to the bed, he approached Brielle and lifted her into his arms. "Are you feeling okay?" He asked as he turned to the chair and carefully set her down.

Brielle nodded and looked up at him. "I just want to go back to my room please." She pulled her eyes from him and focused on the ground. She knew she needed to make a choice, but the decision was too hard to think about. She kept her eyes to the ground as she left the room, choosing her heath over any rash decision.

* * *

Three days later:

Brielle spent the next three days recovering at home, her mother never leaving her side. She had heard from Lei that Daoming Si had been discharged the day after her and was home resting up. As much as she wanted to talk to him, she didn't feel emotionally ready, and still wasn't sure of what she wanted to say.

"I have to head into work today to give my boss the hospital papers." Brielle said, slowly stepping into the living room and sliding on her jacket. She looked into the kitchen at her mother cleaning dished. "Would you like to come with me?" She asked, sitting onto the couch and pulling on her shoes. "You can see where I work, and part of the Daoming Empire." She laughed as the words knowing her mother would have said it herself.

"You think I'm going to allow you to leave this house without me?" Her mom replied, drying her hands on a towel and walking back into the living room. "You think I'm going to leave China before evaluating my future son-in-laws company?"

"Mom!" Brielle shouted, looking up at her mom stunned.

Her mother laughed as she pulled on her coat. "I'll go warm up the car. Be careful coming down the stairs."

Brielle nodded and carefully stood from the couch. She picked up the letter from the hospital and tucked it into her inside coat pocket before turning to the front door and heading to the hotel.

The car pulled up to the front of the hotel and Brielle waited for her mom to help her climb out. Her sides were still in constant pain, but she hated sitting around. They stepped into the hotel, which was packed with reporters who were being asked to leave by security. She felt her stomach drop as she stepped out of the way and approached the front desk.

"*Is the manager in?" She asked, trying to ignore the pain in her side.

The girl smiled at her and ran around the desk, throwing her arms around Brielle's shoulders. "*You're back!" She shouted, quickly taking a step back when Brielle winced in pain. "*Sorry, I forgot." She ran back around the counter and picked up the phone.

Brielle looked over her shoulder at the reporters exiting the building. "*Why are there so many reporters here?" She asked, looking back at the girl. "*Did something happen?'

"*Brielle is in the lobby waiting for you." She said into the phone before hanging up and shaking her head nervously at Brielle's words. "*News broke out about Daoming Si's attack. I can't believe he was jumped."

Brielle scrunched her nose. "Jumped?" She repeated. "*He was jumped?" She asked, trying to remain calm.

The girl nodded. "*He was walking to his car after a meeting and was jumped by four guys. Left him in the hospital for over a week." She cocked her head as she watched Brielle with curious eyes.

Brielle felt a sense of relief, realizing the story was a cover up for the real attack. She shook her head. "*Well hopefully he is okay."

The girl nodded again. "*The boss told us what happened to you." She leaned against the desk and shook her head. "*You should really be more careful when walking. I can't believe you fell down he steps at your apartment."

Brielle raised her eyebrows, trying to not laugh at the stupid cover up. "*Yeah I guess I should be more careful."

The office door behind the desk opened and the manager popped his head into view. "*Brielle, thank you for coming in. Come on back." He held the door open and waited for her to follow him back to his office.

"*Thank you Sir." She said sitting in the seat across from him and setting the folder on the desk. "*I'm sorry I wasn't able to reach you before. This past week has been very hectic."

He folded his hands over his stomach and nodded his head. "*I understand completely Brielle." He took a deep breath and adjusted his glasses. "But unfortunately, the CEO has reached out personally and believes you to be a hazard working for the company."

Brielle sat up at the words. "*Because I injured myself outside of work?" She asked, scrunching her nose.

He shook his head. "*She has informed me of what really took place between you and Daoming Si, and has asked to remove you from the company. She's worried about the conflictions it is causing her son and the company."

"*She's firing me because of my relationship with her son that took place before I got the job." She shook her head as she thought about his mother and the things she had said in the past about them being together. "*May I leave please?" She asked, bowing her head to remain respectful to the message deliverer.

He held out his hand as he reached into his drawer and pulled out a red envelope. "*One last thing." He set the envelope on the desk and slid it over to her. "The CEO asked me to deliver this to you as well."

Brielle picked up the envelope and lifted the flap. Inside was a check and a note which read; More to come for those who obey. Brielle pulled out the check and gasped when she saw the amount.

"The CEO would like to give you this parting gift for being a great employee to the company."

Brielle shook her head and scoffed as she ripped the check in half. "*Please inform the CEO that she can keep her bribe." She stood from the desk and left the office. As she stepped back into the lobby a tall man with dark hair caught her attention as he disappeared into an office across the lobby. She turned to her mom across the room admiring a statue and crossed the room as quickly as she could to her. "Hey mom, I still have a few things to take care of before we leave. Can you wait for me in the lounge for a drink? I'll be right there once I'm done."

She watched her mother head towards the lounge before turning back to the office door the boy had entered. She crossed the room and knocked. "Ah-Si?" She asked.

The door swung out and Ah-Si looked down at her. "*What are you doing here?" He asked, looking down at her surprised.

"I could ask you the same." She said crossing her arms. "Are you busy?"

He shook his head. "Never too busy for you." He held the door opened and motioned for her to enter.

"I thought you were home recovering." Brielle asked sitting on the couch in the corner of the office.

He sat down carefully beside her and rested his head on her shoulder. "*I got bored." He replied taking in a deep breath. "*Plus, I had a few meetings to attend today." He turned his head and looked at her. "*You're not planning on working today are you?"

Brielle shook her head. "*No. Not that I could even if I wanted to." She looked up at him as she tried to fake a smile. "*I was fired."

Daoming Si stiffened, his fists clenching at his side. "*You were fired?"

Brielle tilted her head as she leaned into the couch. "*I was going to quit anyways."

The phone on his desk rang, snapping them both up. "Give me one second." He said standing up and crossing to his desk. "*Daoming Si speaking." Pause. "*Why did this happen?" Runs his hand through his hair. "*What is being done to help?" Pause. "*And?" His eyes met hers. Brielle sat up at the intensity and crossed her arms over her chest. "*Make things right. Immediately." He hung up the phone, his eyes still on her. "*You turned down my mother's offer?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Brielle nodded. "*I know it wasn't a separation of employment check." She stood to her feet and carefully wrapped her arms around her ribs. "*If and when I decide I don't want to talk to you, I will decide on my own. I don't have to be paid off by your mother."

"*Are you not scared of her?" He asked, a small smirk playing on his lips.

"Of course I am." Brielle spit out. "*But I care about you more."

Ah-Si reached out and placed both of his hands on each side of her face. "*Say that again." He leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers.

Brielle closed her eyes and smiled. "*I care about you more." She tilted her head up and pressed her lips against his. For a slight moment, her body took over for her as her hands reached out and gripped around his suit jacket. This was the moment she had been waiting for. Her heart had decided for her, and it was clear as day now who she wanted to be with.

Their lips parted gently and Ah-Si looked down at her with steady eyes. "*Let me drive you home." He whispered as if there were others around to hear them.

Brielle took a step back. "*My mom is waiting for me at the bar."

"*I'll take both of you then." Daoming Si laced his fingers into Brielle's and led her out of the office. Brielle noticed all eyes on her as she walked with him, the now ex-coworkers at the front desk shocked. She tightened her fingers around his and used her other hand to grip his arm. Everyone there now knew of their relationship and looked at her differently, which was what she never wanted.

She pulled at his arm as he started to lead her to the restaurant. "*Daoming Si, I need to collect my things from my locker."

He looked down at her with raised eyebrows. "*Do you want me to go with you?" He asked, his eyes never leaving hers.

She shook her head as she put on a brave face. "*No. I can do it myself. Can you go get my mom? I'll meet you and mom back here in five minutes?"

"*You don't want a drink?" He asked as he smiled at her slightly.

She shook her head. "*No. I'm not in the drinking mood right now."

He shook his head and kissed her forehead. "*I'll go pay your moms tab." He smiled as he stepped away from her.

Brielle turned to the front desk at approached the gawking girls. The girl who had approached her earlier in the day clasped her hands together and leaned on the counter. "*What exactly is going on with you and the boss?" She asked, as the other girl leaned forward.

Brielle shook her head trying to fight back a scared smile. "*Can one of you let me into the break room so I can collect my belongings?" She asked, redirecting the conversation. She stepped back as one of the girls rounded the desk and walked her towards the breakroom.

"*Mr. Daoming Si always looks mad until he is around you." She said looking over her shoulder as she used her key to open the door. "*He must be in love with you."

Brielle smiled at the words. Everyone around them could see the chemistry between them. That made her happy and nervous at the same time. She looked down keeping silent on the topic and walked over to her locker and began removing her belongings.

"*You two got hurt at the same time." The girl whispered, leaning against the lockers and watching Brielle grab her things. "*What's the true story about what really happened?" She asked.

Brielle shut the door and looked up at the girl. "*Don't walk to your car alone after work for a while by yourself." She warned. "*Ah-Si is a great boss, even though he doesn't know how to show it sometimes. He cares about you guys a lot." She turned from the girl and left the room. She stepped back into the lobby and sat on the sofa waiting for Ah-Si and her mother.

As she sat there, she looked up at the tv as the nation news was playing. She froze, seeing her face pop up on the screen next to the words stalker. She grabbed the remote and turned up the volume, staring at the screen dumbfounded.

"* _She has been stalking the business mogul for half a year, claiming to have intimate relations with him in an attempt to diminish his reputation. The woman pictured has reportedly pushed the boundaries by correlating with a local gang and kidnapping the wealthy man."_

"*Bri! Let's go." Came Ah-Si's voice from behind her.

Brielle waved him off and continued to stare at the screen.

 _"*Students from the college the young billionaire attends have comment on the matter, claiming she has been seen around the campus following him and had been blackmailing him since she first arrived."_

"Did you know about this?" She asked, finally looking up at him and her mother beside him.

"What does it say?" Her mother asked, looking from Brielle and back at the screen.

Brielle stood from the couch and pointed at the TV. "It's saying I'm stalking Daoming Si and that I conspired with the gang who attacked us." She looked up at Ah-Si, tears streaming down her cheeks. "This is not true! Who would start such a rumor."

Daoming Si took her hand and pulled her towards the front of the building. He motioned to the security as he approached the doors. "*Hold back the Media. We are leaving." He wrapped his arm around Brielle's shoulder as he held her close, and turned to look behind him. "*If I find out any of the employees here spoke a work to the media, it will cost you your job!" Brielle pulled free of Daoming Si's arms and turned to her mother grabbing her hand as they were escorted out of the building. Daoming Si tried to block them from the flashing cameras, keeping his hands over both of their faces as they approached the car. Brielle sat in the back seat and moved over so her mom could join her, the door slamming behind them.

"I can't believe this is happening." She sobbed, pressing her forehead against her mother's shoulder.

Her mother cradled Brielle's neck as she rested her head on top of Brielle's. "It's all going to be alright."

The driver in the car pulled away from the curb and onto the road. "*Where is Ah-Si?" Brielle asked, sitting up and looking around until she saw her mom's rental car behind them, Ah-Si in the driver seat. She took a deep breath and gripped onto her mother's hand. "Are you okay mom?" She asked.

Her mother nodded. "I think it's time for you to come live back at home now." She laughed, squeezing her daughters hand back.

Brielle forced a smile back, her eyes still watering. She looked back at Ah-Si in the car behind them, her heart dropping. If she was going to be with him, she would have to learn to face all the obstacles that came with it, which seemed almost impossible.

* * *

I am so excited for you all to read the next chapter! While I was writing the one you just read, I had a spark of insperation for where I want this story to lead to. I cant wait to start it!

Stay tuned!


	13. Chapter 13

The car pulled around the large white house and stopped at the front door. Brielle looked up at the beautiful home, remembering the last time she had been here. Her door suddenly opened and Daoming Si extended his hand to her. Brielle hesitated for a moment before accepting his hand and carefully climbing out of the car.

"Why are we here?" She asked, letting him take her hand and leading her towards the house. She glanced over her shoulder to see her mother gawking at the large house as she followed close behind.

"The media has a photo of you outside of your apartment building." He replied, holding open the front door for her and her mother. "I'm not risking taking you back there until everything is cleared up." He turned to face her and wrapped his arms around her shoulder. "I called Ximen and he is going to meet one of my housekeepers at your house to collect some of your belongings to bring here." He turned to her mother and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I hope you will find my home comfortable until I am able to fix this."

She smiled up at him and patted his back. "As long as there is room service."

Daoming Si smiled down at her. "Anything you want." He motioned for one of the housekeepers. "*Show her to her room and help her get settled in."

"*Please and thank you." Brielle corrected, looking from Daoming Si to the maid.

"*Thank you." Ah-Si repeated, rolling his eyes.

The maid bowed her head and smiled up at the two of them. "My pleasure." She turned to Brielle's mother and bowed. "Please follow me."

Brielle waited for her mother to disappear before turning back to Ah-Si. "*How are you going to fix this?" She asked, trying to remain calm.

Daoming Si pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "*I'm not sure yet. But I will."

Brielle wrapped her arms around his waist and felt her body sink with exhaustion. "*Who would make up such terrible things?" She asked, burying her face into his chest as she fought back tears.

"*Why don't we take a nap?" He asked, rubbing her arms. "*We can get some rest and talk more about it once you have a rested mind."

Brielle nodded and stepped out of his arms. "So much has happened since I came here. It's so overwhelming."

Ah-Si took her hand in his and lead her up the stairs to the bedroom. "*Have you ever considered online college?" He asked, a slight smirk on his lips.

Brielle slapped his arm. "If I had, I would have never come here, or met you."

Ah-Si paused for a moment in the hallway and looked down at her. "*That's not acceptable." He leaned down suddenly and pressed his lips to hers.

Brielle pulled away but kept her forehead pressed against his. "*Do you think everything is going to be okay?" She asked, as she pressed her palms against his chest.

He kissed her forehead and opened the door to his room. "*I'm going to make sure of it."

Brielle stepped into the room and looked around. It was just as she remembered it, not a thing out of place. She suddenly felt embarressed of her own home and how it looked like a disaster comparede to his. She crossed her arms over her stomach and cleared her throat. "*Do you ever clean your own room?" She asked, hearing the bedroom door close behind her. She turned around to see Ah-Si shrugging off his suit jacket.

Ah-Si scrunched his eyebrows. "*Thats what the maids are for." He tossed the jacket over the back of the couch and unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt. "*Changing the subject?"

Brielle shook her head and dropped her arms to her side. "*Just a thought that came to me."

Ah-Si suddenly wapped his arms around her body, trapping her arms, and kissed her cheek. "*It's been a while since we've been together in a room, alone." He whisperd in her ear.

Brielle pulled out of his arms and turned to face him. "*Dont get any ideas." She pointed her finger at him. "*I can still barely move without being in pain."

Daoming Si took a step back and unbuttoned the first few buttons on his shirt. "I understand." He smirked at her as he moved across the room to the closet. "*Do you want to shower first?" He shouted across the room to her. "*Or, we can take one together."

Brielle sat down on the bed and ran her fingers over the comforter. "*I'll wait for my clothes to arrive." She shouted back, shaking her head at his indecent remarks.

Ah-Si stepped back into the room with a towel in hand. "*I'll be out in a minute." He stopped in front of her and dropped some folded clothes onto the bed beside her. "*Change into these and get comfortable." He placed his hand on her head before walking towards the bathroom.

Brielle unfolded the clothes and stood from the bed. She paused, waiting to hear the running water before undressing and sliding on the new clothes. She smiled, feeling comfortable in his basketball shorts and t-shirt which was too long for her. She walked over to the closet and dropped her dirty clothes into the laundry basket.

She looked around the large closet, noticing it was as big as her livingroom, and sighed as she ran her fingers along the hanging clothes. She stepped further into the room and admired the display of jewelry that stretched across the dresser. She opened one of the drawers and froze.

The drawer was filled with perfectly folded socks that lined the entire space, and placed perfectly on top was a small poloroid. Brielle picked up the photo and gawked at the image of herself snuggled into Ah-Si's arm who was placing a tender kiss on her forehead. Brielle smiled down at the photo. "This was taken the first night he showed up at my apartment." She whispered to heself, recolling the first night he had stayed at her place.

She laughed, remembering how she failed to fight him off with the broom and how she woke up to him making breakfast the next morning.

"*What are you laughing about?" Came Daoming Si's voice as he rounded the corner and leaned against the wall.

Brielle dropped the photo back into the sock drawer, startled by his sudden words. She quickly closed the drawer and stared at the dresser, trying to calm her now racing heart. "*Dont scare me like that." She shouted, finally looking up at him. "*Daoming Si," She trailed off as her eyes fell over his bare body that was only covered by a towel around his hips as he stepped closer to his damp skin were large bruises from where he had been hit. The black and purple marked stained his skin from his abdomen to his hips and shoulders. He reached around her and opened the drawer back up, looking inside and pulling out the poloroid.

"*Were you laughing at this?" He asked, looking from the photo to her.

Brielle couldn't respond. She felt her throat close as tears welled in her eyes. Her fingers reached out to his chest, gently gliding over his purple skin. "*Daoming Si," She felt her body reach out to him as she suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist.

Ah-Si winced in pain but didnt fight her off. Her arms stayed wrapped around his bare skin, as she suddenly began to cry. He set the photo down before wrapping his arms around her, returning the embrase.

"I'm so sorry Daoming Si." She cried into his chest. "I'm so sorry."

Ah-Si cradled her head against his body as they slumped to the ground. He fought off the agonizing pain as he held her tightly, knowing she needed him in this moment. "*What are you sorry about?" He questioned, pulling her into his lap and cradling her. "What's wrong?"

"Why did you show up?" She questioned, tears falling from her cheeks and onto his chest. "You werent supposed to show up. This would have never happened." She leaned back and ran her fingers over his shoulder where a large bruise formed.

Ah-Si grabbed her arm and chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Stop!" She shouted suddenly. Brielle stopped and stared at him, bewildered. He kissed her lips suddenly before pulling away. "*I told you this was not your fault. Stop thinking this is your fault." He kissed her again. "*I would take a million more hits if it meant protecting you."

Brielle stared at him intently before shifting her body suddenly so she could face him directly with both legs on each side of his hips. She placed her hands on each side of his face as she watched him intently before pressing her lips to his.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he placed his hands on her hips, pulling her closer to him. She pressed her body against his, ignoring ever aching bone and muscle that screamed at her to stop. She ran her fingers into his wet hair as the kiss deepened, his tongue pushing into her mouth and tangling with hers. Brielle felt her body craving to be closer to him. Before she could stop herself, her fingers fought at the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, freeing her skin. Daoming Si paused for a moment, admiring her skin before smashing his lips backa against hers.

"*Daoming Si?" Came a voice from the bedroom.

Brielle suddenly pulled away from Ah-Si looking up towards the closet entrance. "Is that Ximen?" She asked, looking back down at Daoming Si.

Daoming Si tapped her hip motioning for her to get off as he helped her to her feet. Brielle reached down and picked up the shirt off the ground before pulling it back over her body. Daoming Si cleared his throar as he quickly looked away from Brielle, tightening the towel around his hips before moving back into the bedroom, Brielle following behind him.

Ximen stood by the front door with two suitcases at his feet. He spun around as Daoming Si called out to him, his eyebrows raising when he saw what Ah-Si was wearing. "*Did I interrupt something?" He asked, a smile forming on his lips.

Daoming Si punched Ximens shoulder and grabbed one of the suitcases. "*Nothing was happening." He replied, moving the suitcases into the closet.

Ximen looked down at Brielle, his smile still beaming. "*How are you feeling?" He asked, adjusting his glasses on his face.

Brielle crossed her arms over her chest and bit her bottom lip. "*I'm okay." She cleared her throat. "*How is the," She paused, looking over her shoulder at Daoming Si as he disapeared into the closet. "*How is the rumor?" She asked, trying to not get choked up.

Ximen stuffed his hands in his coat pocket and took a deep breath. "*It's not great, but it's not terrible either." He looked up at Daoming Si as he reentered the room, the towel replaced with sleep shorts. "*Lei and Mei Zou are investigating to see who started the rumors and who has been apart of the spread."

Daoming Si nodded as he grabbed his friends hand and hugged him. "*Thank you for everything you are doing. I'll join you guys tomorrow and we can come up with a plan."

Ximen nodded and looked over at Brielle. "*Dont get too worked up over this. Get some rest." He tussled her hair before turning and leaving the room.

Brielle looked up at Ah-Si. "*Walk him out. I'm going to take a shower." She tapped him on the back and headed towards the bathroom.

* * *

After showering, Brielle stared at herself in the mirror for what felt like forever. Her arms still showed slight bruising from the attack, but noting like Ah-Si's. She examined her face where she had been hit and noticed the bruise was lighter than it had been and almost gone.

She tightened the towel around her chest and exhaled. Though she knew subconciously that Daoming Si had already seen her naked body before, she still felt anxiety build below her skin at the thought of being around him in the state she was in. But something burned deep inside her that wanted to break out of her comfort zone and face her fear.

She bit her bottom lips and gave herself another look before turning from the mirror and heading back to the room. She paused at the end of the hallway and peeked around the wall, trying to prepare for where he was before entering.

Across the room, Ah-Si sat in a chair next to the couch as he read from a book. Brielle took a deep breath and stepped into the room, walking towards the side table where she had left her phone. Fighting the urge to look up at him, she picked up her phone and brushed her wet hair out of her face. She then turned from him, pretending to focus on her phone and walked towards the closet.

"*Well played." Ah-Si commented just as she was about to enter the closet.

Brielle turned at his words and dropped her phone to her side. "*What?"

Ah-Si watched her carefully before closing the book in his lap and leaning forward in his chair. "*Who's playing with who now?" He asked, standing to his feet and slowly crossing the room.

Brielle rested her back against the frame of the door , trying to support herself as her knees became weak. "*Playing who?" She studdered, clearing her throat as he grew closer. Her stomach flopped, causing her to feel weak. "I dont understand."

Ah-Si stopped in front of her and glanced down at the towel before returning her gaze as a smirk appeared on his lips. "*You're trying to get back at me for earlier." He replied as he brought his hand up and placed the back of his fingers along her shoulder. "*Or maybe its a form of thank you." His fingers glided over her skin until it reached the top of the towel. Brielle stayed quiet, afraid if she spoke her voice would crack.

Daoming Si suddenly grabbed the towel and pulled it away from her skin. Brielle quickly grabbed the fabric and held it close to her, trying to keep her figure covered. "What are you doing?" She shouted, trying the free the towel from his hand.

Ah-Si lifted his other arm above her on the wall, pinning her in place. He removed his hand from the towel and gripped the back of her neck, forcing her to look up at him. "*Dont fake your confidence around me." He whispered as he leaned in closer. "*You suck at seduction." He stepped away from her and leaned against the opposite side of the doorway.

Brielle adjusted the towel around her body and glared up at him. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She asked, steadying her breath. "Who says I was trying to seduce you?"

Daoming Si laughed as she crossed his arms over his chest. "*The Brielle I know would never dress like this in front of me." He licked his lips as he laughed once again. "*You must really be attracted to me. First you attack me in the closet and now you present yourself to me like this." He looked her up and down. "*If I wasn't still in pain from your seduction attempt earlier, I'd have caved in already to you."

"*Earlier?" Brielle thought about the kiss in the closet. "*I was not trying to seduce you!" She turned from him and marched into the closet, searching for her suitcase.

Ah-Si followed her and watched as she frantically looked around the room. "*What are you looking for?" He asked watching her with amusement.

Brielle stopped looking and turned to face him. "Where are my suitecases? I want to get changed."

Ah-Si stepped around the sitting stool and stood in front of a cabnent. He smiled as he opened the door, exposing the womens clothing hanging inside. "*I had them put away while you were washing up." He pulled out on the the drawes below. "*Here are your pajamas."

Brielle stepped closer and unfolded one of the options. "Thank you." She whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear.

Ah-Si gripped the bottom of her chin and pulled her attention to him. "*Dont test me again like this unless you want what comes next." He turned from her and left the room.

Brielle quickly changed into the nightware and tied the towel around her head before heading back to the room. She plopped down on the couch beside Daoming Si and pulled her knees to her chest. Resting her head on her knees she looked up at him as he typed away on his laptop.

She admired the features of his face, his jaw tight with consentration and his eyes dancing along the screen as he typed quickly. She looked from his face to the screen, noticing he was working on something related to the hotel.

"*Is that imortant?" She asked, looking from him to the coffee table in front of them.

Daoming Si's fingers suddenly stopped typing. "*Why do you ask?"

Brielle bit down on her bottom lip, no longer sure what she wanted to say. She tightened her grip around her legs and burried her face in her knees, blocking out the room.

Ah-Si closed the laptop and set it on the table. He reached his hand out and scratched her shoulder blades before wrapping his arm around her back and pulled her into his arms. "*What's wrong?" He asked, draping her legs over his and tucking her head under his chin.

Brielle felt small in his arms, protected. She pulled her arms free and wrapped them around his waist, nuzzling her face against his neck. "*I just need you." She admitted, letting a single tear trail down her cheek. She looked up at him and stared into his eyes. Before he could reply, she pressed her lips to his, clinging against him.

Their tongues connected as the kiss deepened. His grip on her waist became stronger as he held her against him, desperatly needing to be closer. He suddely pulled his arm away and looped it under her legs, lifting her off his lap and carrying her to the bed.

He set her down on the mattress, his lips still pressed against hers. He stood up straight, and moved to the bedroom door, shutting off the lights, leaving only the nightstand lamp beside the bed on. He turned back to the bed and swiftly removed his shirt, stepping back to the bed and standing over her.

Brielle looked up at his bare chest, feeling her heart pick up as a swirl of nerves and excitement filled her. She sat further up on the bed and watched as he moved closer, crawling on all fours until he was right in front of her. She took a deep breath, reaching out and running her fingers over his shoulders. She had only ever been with one person before, intimately, and the thought of reaching that step with Ah-Si in this moment made her heart race.

Daoming Si reached out and wrapped his arm around her back, pulling her closer to him and lowering himself on top of her. His lips smashed into hers, their kiss bursting with passion. Her hands reached around his back as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Daoming Si lifted her off the bed and rolled over so she was now on top of him. Brielle sat up and looked down at Ah-Si, his face soft as he watched her carefully. "*Daoming Si?"

He reseted his hands on her hips. "*Yes?"

"*I don't think I'm ready." She bit her bottom lip, nervous to hear his response.

Ah-Si reached up and caressed her cheek. "*That's okay." His lips twitched into a smile before dropping his hand onto the bed.

She took a deep breath and leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. She then rolled off of him and curled up into his side. "*Thank you."

Daoming Si rolled onto his side and wrapped his arms around her. He placed a kiss on her forehead, before dozing off to sleep.

* * *

Brielle looked around the room at the four boys who all stared at their laptops. She bounced her foot impatiently, waiting for someone to say something, but they all remained quiet. She looked at Daoming Si beside her, his eyes focused on the article before him. Feeling antsy, she stood from the couch and moved about the room, trying to find something to keep her distracted. She looked around at the old photos and sculptures in the room. She had never been in this room before, and was surprised at how it was a mixture between a man cave and a museum.

She looked back over her shoulder at the boys, noticing Daoming Si was already watching her. She looked away, suddenly feeling subconscious. Taking a deep breath, he stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. "*Find any helpful information?" He asked looking at the other three.

Ximen closed his laptop and leaned back in his chair. "*I searched the news stations database but they have all of the informants covered up."

Mei Zou took a sip of his drink and shook his head. "I've been searching through social media accounts for students at the college, but nothing." He set down his glass and rubbed his eyes. "*No one even remembers seeing any reporters on campus."

"*Is it possible your mother could have leaked fake information?" Lei asked, his eyes still on his laptop.

Everyone looked at him with a questioning expression. Lei looked up from his laptop, his face expressionless as he scanned the looks he was receiving.

Daoming Si cocked his head. "*Brielle's mother would never do such a thing."

Lei sat up straight and set his laptop on the table in front of him. "*I'm not suggesting her mother." He looked at Daoming Si. "*I meant yours."

Brielle looked between both boys as they watched each other carefully. "*What brought you to this idea?" Brielle asked as she crossed the room and sat back on the couch.

Lei picked up his drink and took a sip. "*There was an article published in London three days before here." He said, pointing to the screen. "*The London article reads that someone close to the family disclosed the information that Brielle was a stalker and is being investigated by authorities to find a tie with the thugs."

Daoming Si moved across the room and picked up the laptop as he scanned the screen. He read silently to himself, but soon grew louder. "Daoming Si has made many attempts to detain the girl in her pursuit against him, but instead found himself in a fight for his life. The family suspects Brielle was working with the thugs long before she arrived to China, and set up the entire ruse. Daoming Si remains in critical condition according to his relatives after this viscous attack." He set the laptop back down and furrowed his brow. "*This was published the same day I got out of the hospital."

"*Last I checked, they don't release critical conditioned patients." Ximen mocked, taking another drink.

"*What are we going to do now?" Brielle asked, pulling her knees to her chest as she looked around the room.

Daoming Si balled his hands into fists at his side and looked around the room. "*Ximen, call the reporters and set up an interview for this evening. Mei Zou, contact your shops and send over you finest, as soon as possible. Lei, contact whoever you need to get tabs on my mother. I need to know as much as I can on her whereabouts." He then looked across the room to Brielle and moved to her side. Taking her hand into his, he pulled her from the room.

Brielle followed behind him up the stairs and down the hall until they reached a glass door that led to a small garden. Daoming Si closed the doors behind him, moving across the garden to the rosebushes.

"*What's going on?" Brielle asked, walking up behind him and placing a hand on his back.

Daoming Si turned around and kissed her forehead. "*I'm going to talk to the press today, and get everything straightened out." He held her face in his hands and looked down into her eyes. "*I need you to stand beside me as I do so, and support me."

Brielle nodded, stretching out her hands and resting them on his waist. "*I will always support you."

Daoming Si pressed his lips to hers for a brief moment before pulling back. "*I've never wanted to protect something more in my life." His words were soft as he spoke, his fingers gripping on the back of her neck.

Brielle felt a happy tear trail down her cheek. She pushed forward, pressing her lips back against his. She pulled back only enough for him to rest his forehead against hers. "*I wish I could go back and tell you this six months ago." She joked, her arms moving from his waist and wrapping around to his back. "*Would you have believed we'd be standing here like this when we first met?"

"*I was an idiot six months ago." He laughed, kissing her forehead. Brielle rested her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "*Go tell your mother what is going on." Ah-Si said, pushing her out of his arms. "*I'm going to go prepare for the interview."

Brielle nodded, brushing her cheeks dry. "*Thank you Ah-Si." She moved around him and headed into the house.

* * *

After talking with her mom, Brielle headed back downstairs to see what the guys had been working on. She entered the den to find only Lei sitting at the table, staring at his laptop. On the screen was a beautiful woman with short black hair and red lips. She spoke to Lei through a pair of headphones as he scribbled in a note book. As she entered the room, the woman's attention shifted to Brielle.

Lei suddenly stood up straight, pulling one of the headphone buds from his ear and turning to see Brielle. "*I didn't hear you come in." Lei said, setting down his notebook and turning back to the laptop. "*Yes, this is her." He unplugged the headphones and turned the computer to face Brielle.

"*It's nice to meet you Brielle. I'm Daoming Zhuang, Ah-Si's older sister." She smiled into the camera.

Brielle nodded her head as she moved closer to the computer. "*It's very nice to meet you."

Daoming Zhuang moved her head from side to side as she exhaled. "*You poor thing. You've been through so much."

Brielle smiled at the screen. "*Nothing I can't handle."

She smirked as she folded her arms over her stomach. "*I now understand why these boys have been fighting over you." Brielle blushed. She still hadn't talked with Lei alone, and suddenly felt like she was crammed inside a small box. "*I'll get going. Lei, let me know what happens. I'll be texting you if I find out anything."

Lei nodded. "*Thank you Zhuang. I'll be waiting for that." He closed the laptop and turned to Brielle. "Are you looking for Ah-Si?" He asked, folding his hands gently in his lap.

Brielle paused, finally looking at him. "*I was looking for everyone, but I'm happy it was just you here. I haven't been able to really talk to you until now." She sat in the chair beside him and rested her hands on the table. "*How are you?"

Lei shook his head as he fought back a smile. "*Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

Brielle looked away, her eyes focusing on her hands. "*Yes and no. Am I not allowed to ask how you're doing?"

Lei chuckled. "*I'm okay. How are you?"

Brielle suddenly felt the words hit her chest. She felt fine, but knew that a lot was happening around them. She looked back up at Lei, and smiled. "*I'm going to be okay." She took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was dreading. "*Lei, I need to talk to you about Daoming Si and I."

Lei held up his hand to cut her off. "I told you that I was yours until Daoming Si came back." He paused. "*He's back."

Brielle shook her head. "*I just wanted you to know that you mean the world to me Lei. And I greatly appreciate everything you have done for me these past few weeks."

Hua Zi Lei smiled at her as he reached out and took her hand. "*Whether I'm a boyfriend or just a friend, I hope to stay by your side for however long I can."

"Thank you Lei."

Lei stepped off the chair and grabbed the laptop. "*The guys are up in Ah-Si's room."

Brielle hopped off the chair and nodded. "*Have they come up with any kind of plan?" She asked, following him through the house.

Lei nodded. "*Ah-Si's very confident in his plan." He spoke softly. "*Ah-Si is very cunning with situations like this."

Brielle smiled to herself as they approached the bedroom. She felt confident knowing she had such smart and cunning men behind her. Lei opened the door and held it opened for her, exposing the chaos before them.

Inside the room sat Daoming Si surrounded by three woman who all worked together fixing his clothes, hair and makeup. Around the room were other unknown people who spoke amongst themselves as they sorted through racks of clothing and accessories.

Mei Zou looked up from a dress that one of the ladies was showing him and raised his eyebrows as Brielle entered the room. He rushed around the women and took Brielle's shoulder. "*I need you to wash up quickly and come back in here." He tapped her shoulder trying to hurry her along. "*The media will be here in less than two hours and we need to get you camera ready."

Brielle was hurried into the bathroom where two housekeepers assisted her in getting washed up. After bathing, they escorted her back to the bedroom to have her hair and makeup done.

She sat quietly as they ran a blow dryer through her hair and presented her with different clothing options. She felt her anxiety grow as she sat in one place watching the hectic display of people around her. She looked at Daoming Si who stood across the room trying on different suit jackets. She gripped the side of the chair, her fingers turning white with tension.

"Ah-Si?" Her voice broke as she fought out the words. Her hands trembled at her side as she watched him carry on with his conversation with the stylist. "Ah-Si?" No answer. She looked around the room searching for anyone closer to her that she knew. "Lei?"

Lei's head turned and his eyes caught hers. He crossed the room and leaned down to hear her better. "*What's up?" He asked.

Brielle placed her hand on his arm and squeezed tightly. "I need some air." She replied as someone began pulling at her hair once again.

Lei stood up straight and motioned for the hairstylist to step away. He extended his arm to Brielle and helped her out of the chair, and lead her through the room. Once in the hallway, Brielle leaned against the wall and fought for breath.

"There was just too many people in there." Brielle said, grabbing her side and taking wavered breaths. Brielle sat on the ground and looked up at Lei. "*Thank you."

Lei nodded and sat beside her. "Are you okay?" He asked, resting his arms on his knees.

Brielle ran her fingers into her hot hair and looked up at the ceiling. "*Yeah. It's just a lot to process all at once."

The door for the bedroom opened and Ah-Si stepped into the hallway. "*What's going on?" He asked, shutting the door behind him, his eyes jumping back and forth between her and Lei.

Lei stood back up and moved closer to the bedroom door. "*I'm going to start getting ready." He said, looking over at Ah-Si before disapearing back into the bedroom.

"*I'm fine." Brielle whispered, smiling up at Daoming Si. "I just felt Claustrophobic and needed a breath."

Ah-Si nodded and placed his hand on her knee. "*I'll clear out the room and you can get ready at your own pace." He replied as his hand moved to her head and pulled her into his arms. He placed a soft kiss on her hair before pushing her away and grabbing her chin. "*The next time you need help, don't ask for Lei's." He said firmly, his eyes narrowed at her.

Brielle smiled and nodded knowing he was jealous. "*I promise." She kissed his lips.

Daoming Si stood to his feet and helped her up. "*Are you sure you want to be a part of the interview?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Brielle nodded. "*I need to be by your side during this." She felt a wave of confidence wash over her as she said the words. Somehow, she knew this plan would work.

* * *

Brielle sat beside Daoming Si on the couch in the grand sitting room, the three other members of F4 standing behind them. She folded her hands over her lap as she looked up at Daoming Si who was adjusting his tie. Across from them sat the interviewer, who spoke with the camera man as they worked on getting proper angles.

Daoming Si looked down at Brielle and took her hand, squeezing it gently. "Don't be nervous." He whispered, his fingers interlacing with hers. "You've got this." Brielle smiled and nodded at his words.

"*Okay! We are ready to go." The interviewer clapped his hands before picking up a folder of questions. "*How are we feeling?" He asked, looking up from the papers with a smile on his face.

Daoming Si nodded. "*Feeling ready to get things cleared up."

The interviewer nodded his head, his smile wavering. "*Well I guess we can address the elephant in the room." He let out a bellowing laugh. "*Do you always invite your stalkers into your home?" He gestured to Brielle.

Brielle felt her stomach drop at the words. She squeezed Daoming Si's hand as she fought to keep a straight face.

Daoming Si let out a small chuckle. "*I would never do something so idiotic." He replied. "*Brielle here is a foreign exchange student from America who happens to be my girlfriend."

"American who had ties to the gang that assaulted you?" The reporter asked, his face filled with excitement. Brielle wanted to slap him for such cruelty.

Daoming Si shook his head. "*Those men learned of my affections for Brielle and used her against me." He placed another hand on top of Brielle's. "*I walked into the situation with the expectation of what occurred." His voice was dry as he said the words. "*I ran into these men in my younger, adolescent days and have been dealing with them for years. I surrendered willingly to keep Brielle alive."

The interviewer licked his lips as the information rolled in. "And you believe Ms. Brielle had nothing to do with the men before meeting you?"

Ah-Si nodded. "*Wholeheartedly." He smirked.

The interviewer paused for a moment as he looked down at his notes. "*What about the reports from your fellow classmates regarding the stalking allegations?"

Daoming Si contained his laugh. "*If anything it was the other way around." He then gestured to his friends behind him. "*My good friends here can attest to that."

The three boys chuckled.

"*So at no point in your relationship did she stalk you?" The interviewer asked.

Daoming Si shook his head. "*The first time I met Brielle, I was very rough with her." He cleared his throat as he shifted his weight. Brielle looked up at him as she too remembered the incident. She squeezed his hand back and nodded as a smile stretched across her lips. Daoming Si looked back at the reporter, controlling his expression. "*She pushed me away many times, but I refused to let her go."

The reporter nodded. "*So the allegations from the school students?"

"*Jealous school girls I'm afraid." Ah-Si replied, his face content again. "*When they saw our relationship growing closer, they tried multiple different tactics to break us apart. I believe they heard the story and took advantage of it for their own gain."

The reporter went quiet again as he read over his notes. "*Brielle, what is your take on all of this?" The reporter asked, looking up at her as he caught her off guard.

Brielle looked up at the reporter, her expression shifting to startled. She looked back up at Ah-Si before clearing her throat. "*Honestly, it's hurtful." She clutched onto Ah-Si's hand. "*I came here to study and learn, and suddenly all of this happens."

The reporter scribbled on his notepad. "*What were you're thoughts of Daoming Si?"

Brielle looked up at Ah-Si before taking in a deep breath. "*At first," She paused, her fingers tightening around his. "*I was scared of him." She swallowed back a large lump in the back of her throat. "*When we first met, he was very closed off. I was scared of what could happen if he became too upset with me." She looked up at him as she fought back her emotions.

"*Daoming Si doesn't let many people in." Ximen chimed in from behind.

"*When he started talking about her, we knew she had to be special." Mei Zou added, tussling Ah-Si's hair.

"*Brielle has one of the biggest hearts I've ever seen." Lei spoke softly. "*The fact that anyone would do this against her is disgusting."

Daoming Si lifted Brielle's hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. "*I love this woman." Brielle's eyes snapped to his as the words escaped his lips. She was not ready to hear those words, especially in this moment. Her whole body began to sweat as she watched him carefully, a smile forming on his lips. Daoming Si looked from her to the reporter. "*I'll do anything and everything to protect her." His grip tightened on her fingers as he felt her hand slowly slide from his.

The reporter smiled at the both of them. "*Well I'm glad I am able to help you in setting the record straight."

"*Thank you. We appreciate you as well. Hopefully people can leave us alone and allow us to continue our relationship in peace." Ah-Si stood and bowed slightly to the reporter as the camera crew began gathering up their equipment.

Brielle stood from the couch and bowed to the crew before leaving the room. Waiting in the hallway was her mother who stood along the wall with her suitcase. Brielle scrunched her eyebrows as her eyes fell over her mother. "Are you leaving?" Brielle asked, looking from the suitcase back to her mother.

She nodded. "I've seen how Daoming Si and his friends treat you, and I know you are in good hands." She reached out and hugged her daughter. "Plus I miss my bed."

Brielle hugged her mother back feeling her warmth before she said goodbye. "Call me when you get home safe." Brielle replied, pulling from her mothers embrease.

Her mother smiled. "Make sure the boys know how thankful I am for them."

"Are you not going to say goodbye to them?" Brielle questined, looking back into the room.

Her mother shook her head. "I'm sure I'll see them again." She pressed her fingers to her daughters cheek, before gathering her belongings and heading towards the front door.


End file.
